


Endless Darkness

by Chericola



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-02
Updated: 2019-01-26
Packaged: 2019-07-17 07:11:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 22,835
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16090631
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chericola/pseuds/Chericola
Summary: Corrupted by darkness, Terra and Aqua struggle to keep their light alive as they slowly become extensions of Xehanort's will.





	1. Endless Pain

Aqua is unconscious when they bring her to The World That Never Was. Xemnas bridal-carries her limp, corrupted form into the castle. Xehanort watches from afar.

He sneaks into her room in the middle of the night. She is laying on the bed, staring at the ceiling, her eyes wide-open and blank. As he approaches she slowly turns her head to look at him.

‘Terra,’ she whispers. His heart clenches at the sound of it. She weakly reaches out a hand, as if to grab hold of his. He at first considers ignoring it—because after all, it serves no purpose—but then he sees her desperate, pleading, broken eyes and finds himself gripping her hand anyway.

‘Terra,’ she repeats. It seems like that’s all she can say at the moment. No matter. Still, a hidden part of him aches to see her like this. Once, in Terra’s memories, she’d been majestic and proud, standing stalwart against the darkness. Now her body seeps with it, her clothes are saturated with it, and her heart is an inky black.

‘Here,’ he says. ‘I’m here.’

Part of him is coldly indifferent. The other part of him is filled with an bittersweet joy. Aqua is here. Half of her, a voice reminds him. It doesn’t matter. The part of his heart that is still his can feel hers. They have a connection; they always have had one. He can feel it, even now.

‘It hurts,’ she whispers.

‘I know, I know,’ he soothes, stroking her hair. ‘Do not fear, it will be over soon.’

Unbidden, tears form in his eyes. He never wanted Aqua to share his fate. All he ever wanted was for her and Ven to be safe, and for all of them to be together. I’m sorry, he whispers in the deepest part of his heart. I’m so sorry.

She clings to his hand tightly, as if it’s an anchor. She doesn’t speak, but he can see the pain and grief in her eyes.

He continues speaking those soothing statements. They both know his words for lies, but they take comfort in them anyway.

At length, he rises to leave, but she grips his arm, forcing him to halt.

‘Stay with me,’ she pleads.

He knows he can’t—she brings out too much of Terra in him. The Xehanort half of his heart reminds him of that, reminds him of his purpose that he must fulfill. He is a Seeker of Darkness. He cannot let himself dally too long, even if half of his heart is begging to stay.

She gazes at him with her desperate gold-ringed eyes. He can only shake his head and press her hand in his own, giving her what comfort he can, before turning away.


	2. Endless Dreams

One night, Aqua appeared at the doorway to his bed-chamber, clad in a night-dress that came down to her knees.

It didn’t surprise him to see her; he’d half-expected her to come. Ever since her arrival in The World That Never Was she’d stayed close to him—drawn to the remnant of Terra that remained in his heart.

He watched silently as she walked to the bed, sat on the empty space beside him and took his hand in her own. It was colder than he liked—cold as ice. Her eyes were slightly more gold, and there was less blue and more silver in her hair. It squeezed his heart to see it.

‘Terra,’ she said, gazing into his gold eyes. She always called him that, even though he was only half of him.

‘Terra is gone,’ he snapped. ‘You are wasting your time needlessly. I am not him.’

At that she simply laughed and traced a finger along the side of his face. Her gold eyes blazed. ‘The heart shapes the body. We both know that. I can feel it. Your heart. The light in it. You are not gone yet, Terra.’

‘No. You are wrong—’

She silenced him with one hand to his mouth. If she were anyone else he would have knocked that hand away, but he never could bring himself to hurt her like that. Not Aqua.

‘I know you’re in there. I can feel it.’ Her gold eyes kept blazing at him. ‘You can’t deny it.’

He frowned at her. His heart twinged. She was wrong—he knew it. She had to be. He could not still have light in his heart, not after everything that had happened and everything that he’d done. But… there was a ring of truth in her words that he could not ignore.

‘I…’

He stared at her, wondering what to do. He closed his eyes as a wave of longing washed through him. Longing for her, and Ven too. And everything he could never have again.

‘Aqua?’

Her eyes snapped at him. ‘Master Aqua. Don’t ever forget it.’

Master Aqua… His heart quickened. ‘Understood… Master Aqua.’

She smiled. Not her former sweet smile, but one that was pure Xehanort—smug and mocking.

‘Let me…’

He reached for her. She didn’t move to stop him but instead pulled him closer to her. He was part Xehanort, but still she felt the safest she’d ever felt in her life as his fingers gently stroked the sides of her face. This was Terra. Her best friend.

Tears stung her eyes. She’d missed him so much… Still missed him. He kissed her hungrily, fast and hard, and it felt like coming home. She returned the kiss with equal vigour, locking her arms around his back to steady herself.

He paused briefly, and made as if to pull away, but her grip was too strong. ‘Don’t,’ she said harshly. ‘Don’t push away.’ He stilled. She continued, in a softer tone, ‘Stay with me. Please?’

He didn’t resist as she held him tightly against her and put her head against his chest. It felt good, he realised, to feel another warm body close to his, and her head bumping against the side of his face. It felt better than he ever expected it to.

He gazed at her, mesmerized at the sight. Her hair was so blue… but her eyes… they were like looking into a mirror.

He shook his head. He didn’t want to—couldn’t think about that now. Instead he kissed her again, revelling in the feel of her soft lips and the small gasp she took as he did so. The fact that it was almost like kissing himself did not deter him—or her, for that matter.

It was Aqua who began to unbutton her clothes and shed them. His eyes widened. ‘We should not—’

She snarled at him. ‘Don’t you dare tell me what I should do. This is my choice. Mine. I will not let him take that away.’

‘He will know,’ he reminded her. He always did.

‘I don’t care. I want you. Here. Now.’

Without another word, he nodded and shed his own clothes. The moment he was mothernaked she was upon him, her lips colliding with his, her arms wrapping around the back of his neck and her legs wrapping around his waist.

He looked at her flushed, angry face. Terra would have hesitated even more. He would have waited until he was sure it was what she wanted. But he was not Terra. He did as she wanted and sank into her.

She gave a moan of relief as they spent themselves in each other. This at least she could choose. 

It was over far quicker than either of them liked. He felt and endured every scratch she aimed at him—his face, his back, his chest—and gave it all back to her in equal measure. A certain rage and frustration flooded him that he had not felt before. Not at her—never at her—but at the situation they were both in.

He came back to himself slowly to find that he was cradling Aqua’s form now against his chest, as if it was precious. He could feel a pain in his heart now that hadn’t been there before. It hurt so much that he almost groaned aloud.

As if she sensed his torment, one of her hands reached to cup his cheek. ‘Terra…’

He closed his eyes, unable to face her. ‘Stop. Terra does not exist anymore. I told you already. Do not continue this.’

Her eyes glittered with tears. Still, though, she persisted. Why? She had to know that it was futile, that he wasn’t the Terra she knew anymore. He was just a hybrid mix of two people. It hurt to admit it, but it was the truth. She had to understand that.

‘He does,’ she insisted. ‘I know he does. You just can’t see him.’

He wanted to believe her, but he couldn’t bring himself to. How could he still be Terra when he’d done so many horrible things? When he was not even his own person?

‘How can you be so sure?’

‘I just am,’ she said. ‘I know you. You’re here and you’re Terra.’ She took his hand in her own. ‘Don’t let him win, Terra, please. Promise me you will keep fighting.’

He didn’t know why he was making such a ridiculous and futile promise, but he found himself saying, ‘I will.’

ooooo

When she next woke up, she was greeted by the sight of her old home—how it used to be before Xehanort destroyed it. It took her a few more moments to realise that she wasn’t alone. Her head was resting on someone else’s shoulder; her body leaned against another. Her heart raced. It had to be—

‘Terra?’

She thought she heard him chuckle, but it was bitter and weary—far from how he’d been before all this happened. It made her heart ache, but she understood it. She felt the same way.

She turned to look at him. His eyes were dulled with a sadness and pain that mirrored her own. When had she last seen him? Too long, she thought.

‘I’ve missed you,’ he said in a low murmur. ‘And Ven.’

She swallowed hard. ‘Me too. It’s… been a while.’

She sounded dejected and lost. They both did. It hurt, seeing him like this, knowing that they could be ripped apart at any time. It hurt to not be in control of one’s own body and heart. To both know that they were gradually dying, bit by bit.

She must have started crying, because Terra’s fingers brushed at her cheek. ‘It’s all right,’ he tried to reassure her. ‘We’re all right. Don’t cry, Aqua, please.’

Lies, all of it. She could tell by the despair in his eyes, the thickness in his voice and the tears on his cheeks. They were both trapped in the same nightmare and there was nothing they could do to escape it. They could only watch and wait until it consumed them entirely.

‘I’m sorry,’ she said flatly. How could Terra bear it, for twelve years? She looked at him with fear in her eyes when she said, ‘How much longer?’

‘I don’t know,’ he whispered. ‘Aqua, I’m sorry. This is all my fault.’

She couldn’t let him shoulder all of the blame. ‘Don’t say that. We all played a role. All of us. It wasn’t just you.’

'He used me to get to you. If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t be…like this. You would be free.’

'He did, she agreed. And then he used me to get to Ventus. It wasn’t your fault. Don’t blame yourself.’

He did, though. They both knew that he always would, just like she’d always berate herself for leading Xehanort right to Ventus’ body in Castle Oblivion.

They’d both made so many mistakes, and now they were paying for them. Maybe this was what they deserved for all the wrongs they’d inadvertently helped into fruition. Sighing, Aqua rested her head on Terra’s shoulder and closed her eyes. 

‘Terra…’ she murmured. ‘I’m glad you’re here….’

ooooo

Waking up from the dream, Xehanort found Aqua’s sleeping form curled into his own, and his forehead resting against the crown of her head.

He frowned. This would not do at all. Ever so carefully, he drew her into his arms and carried her out of his chamber and back into hers. To his surprise, she did not stir even once. As he lay her down on her bed, however, she reached to grip his hand in her own.

‘Stay…’ she murmured sleepily at him. ‘Please…’

The desperation in those two words tore at his blackened heart.

He shook his head. ‘I am sorry. I cannot.’

Her eyes filled with tears. It only made her look more beautiful, to him, and gave him even more of an urge to stay. But he could not if he valued both of their lives and the Organizations goals. He did not know what to Master Xehanort would do if he thought that two of his vessels were not behaving as he wanted them to.

He gave her hand a gentle squeeze. ‘Rest, Master Aqua. In sleep there is no more pain, no more loss. Just endless dreams.’

‘Endless dreams…’

She closed her eyes. He kept crooning to her as she sighed and slipped back into sleep, and only stopped when he was sure that she would not wake up again. Perhaps this time she would wake to find herself no longer troubled by the darkness and their fate. Perhaps this time she would finally bow completely to Xehanort and the piece of his heart that he placed within her.

She mumbled his—no, Terra’s—name in her sleep as he rose to leave her. In response, he kissed her forehead and whispered, ‘Terra is here. Do not be afraid anymore.’

He didn’t know if she heard or understood him, but he heard her give a little sigh and relax even further into her slumber. This was progress, he thought. Before, she had spent most of her nights tossing and turning.

Smoothing back her blue hair from her face, he whispered, ‘Goodnight, Master Aqua,’ before finally leaving her alone to dream.


	3. Endless Nightmares

It is always the same. She stands on the deserted, darkened beach, looking out at the horizon and clutching her wayfinder in her hand. Her companion has just told her about that boy who is keeping the worlds safe. Sora. He can save her and her friends—he will save them, her companion says. In that moment her heart is bursting with so much hope that she feels she will overflow with it.

Then he appears. With horror, she watches as he murders her companion with a flick of darkness and turns his attention to her. She asks what he wants, but he just laughs. It’s a cold laugh that sends chills down her spine.

He takes off his hood with great show. As she gazes upon his face she can feel the bile rise up her throat.

Terra?

He smirks at her. Terra does not exist anymore. His heart was smothered by the darkness within him.

His words are like knives into her heart. No… That face… Those eyes… It can’t be true… He was fighting… He’d told her not to give up…

Was it really all for nothing? 

As she stands frozen in shock, the man steps toward her with weapons drawn out. Now you will join us… he says. 

She runs at him, swinging Master Defender at him with all of her might. She won’t let him take her without a fight. It’s no use, though. Not even her magic helps her. She finds herself being flung to the ground, again and again, until her head throbs and all she can see are stars in the corners of her eyes. Through a reddish haze, she can see him smile. It’s not one she would ever imagine Terra wearing. It’s too cold and malicious, while Terra’s were always warm and open. It squeezes her heart to see it.

Then she hears his voice close to her ear. I am truly sorry, he says, but we do need you. I will do whatever it takes to ensure your compliance. I am sure you understand, Master Aqua… 

oOoOo

She wakes up screaming, rocking back and forth with closed eyes, trying to eradicate the images still whirling beneath her eyelids. 

‘Master Aqua?’

Terra. Or the not-Terra. She recognizes his voice instantly. He is standing just outside her chamber; he likely heard the aftermath of the nightmare. 

‘Go away,’ she snarls. ‘I wish to be alone.’

He doesn’t. Of course he doesn’t. There are footsteps—and then she feels his arms come around her from behind. So achingly familiar that part of her wants to weep and wish for the days when things had been simple and they had been free. 

‘Do not be afraid,’ he murmurs into her ear. ‘I am here.’

Somehow, that comforts her greatly. It also irritates her. She does not need him to come to her rescue. She is not a damsel in distress.

‘I am not afraid,’ she breathes out. ‘And I do not need you.’

He scoffs. ‘I think that you do.’ As if to prove his point, his fingers run along the side of her face, and he smiles as she let out a gasp and leans toward him. ‘You see? You need me.’

In that moment, she hates him. In retaliation, she says, ‘You are wrong. You are the one who needs me.’

Before he can react, she twists and climbs onto his lap, tightly grips the sides of his face and kisses him deeply. ‘You… need… me,’ she says, and watches with satisfaction as he submits to her with desire in his eyes. ‘Say it!’

He brushes gentle fingers along the side of her cheek, and smiles. ‘Yes… I need you… but you are mine. Mine.’

She snarls in disagreement. No, that is wrong. It is he who is hers, and always has been. He looks at her with that daring look in his eyes, as if to say, Prove it. Prove that I am yours. She has it in mind to take him up on that dare, but she is too tired now to fight about it too much now. Instead, she grips his neck with one indigo hand and presses until she hears him groan aloud. 

Satisfied that he is sufficiently subdued, she orders, ‘Stay with me.’ He nods at her; there is endless hunger and wonder in his eyes. It sets her heart to beating to hear it, especially from him of all people.

‘Yes, Master Aqua…’ 

Slowly she lets herself relax and be held by him, moving to close her eyes and put her head on his shoulder. He shifts slightly to better support her weight. It feels like coming home. Does he feel the same way? Part of her hopes that he does, but she knows that it doesn’t matter now.

He carefully lays them both down onto her bed; she exhales as she buries her face in his chest. Now she can sleep again… 

She feels him move as she falls into sleep once more, and hears his words: Rest now, Aqua…

oOoOo

They lay on the grass on the summit (again), gazing up at the stars. His hand is firm and warm in hers; hers is ice-cold in comparison. She can almost feel the pulse of his heart beside hers.

‘Aqua?’

‘Yeah?’

She doesn’t turn her head to look at him—just keeps gazing at the myriad stars in the sky above them.

‘Another nightmare?’ he guesses.

She nods. ‘Worse this time. It was as if I was back there again, watching as he murdered Ansem the Wise and took… me. I couldn’t do anything to stop it.’

That hurts most—the fact that she could not prevent Ansem’s death, or her own capture. She’d been… weak. Not physically weak, but weak in heart. She hates that.

He squeezes her hand. ‘You know that’s not true,’ he says. ‘You’re the strongest person I know. What he did was not your fault.’ 

She shakes her head in denial. ‘I gave up,’ she says flatly. ‘I failed. My heart was weak. Now it’s only a matter of time…’

‘Don’t say that.’ She can’t see his face, but she can imagine his eyes flashing. And she can hear the change in his voice. ‘You—’

‘I couldn’t even save Ventus,’ she continues. ‘What good am I?’

He squeezes her hand again, this time more strongly than before. ‘Don’t,’ he warns her. ‘Don’t think like that. Please.’ 

‘There was a boy…I thought that he would save me. Save us. But it was a lie.’

‘Don’t think like that,’ he repeats. ‘Don’t—don’t lose hope.’

He never says it, but she can tell what he’s thinking. That if she loses hope and gives up, he doesn’t know if he will be able to go on.

I’m sorry. You don’t deserve this.

I don’t deserve anything.

She turns her head to look at him and catches sight of the flash of gold in his eyes. Before she can say or do anything else, the dream fades away and she is alone again. 

oOoOo

She wakes up again. This time, she finds herself curled in Terra’s (Xehanort’s?) arms, the back of her head pressing lightly against his forehead. She can hear his deep, steady breathing and the beat of his heart in his chest, and she surmises that he has fallen asleep himself. Because she doesn’t dare move, she stays as she is, reveling in the rare intimate physical contact. She’s missed that, during the past weeks since she was taken, and even before then in the Realm of Darkness. She would have given anything for a gentle embrace or the touch of a hand. 

He wakes up and she can feel him look down at her. ‘Did you sleep well?’ he asks tonelessly. 

‘Yes.’ She sits up and faces him. ‘I did.’

‘That is good,’ he says. ‘I hope that you will have no more nightmares now.’

She hopes so too, but she doesn’t count on it. The conflict—the pain– is still there, and as long as it’s there the nightmares will come. She wishes it were otherwise, but there isn’t anything she can do about it. 

‘I hope so,’ she tells him curtly. ‘Now I would like to be alone.’

She can’t tell if he feels hurt by her abruptness or not. He silently walks away, leaving her alone in her chamber. Part of her doesn’t care, but another part—the Aqua part—wishes that he would stay, knows they are both losing and is in agony at the knowledge that there is nothing she can do about it.


	4. Endless Fear

Aqua is sitting in the common room reading a book when Luxord returns to the castle half-carrying an unconscious Terra-Xehanort.

Her heart thumps painfully in her chest at the sight of them. What— Without thinking about it, she jumps from her seat and marches toward them, eyes intent on them. Her lips thin as she sees the gashes on his leg, his bruised face and the terrible-looking gash on his temple. Luxord is equally as battered, but she doesn’t care about him. Terra is all that matters. 

‘Why is he injured?’ she demands. ‘Tell me!’

Luxord looks at her in surprise. His eyes seem to narrow as he decides what if anything to tell her. After what feels like a millenia, he says, ‘We were ambushed by the Lights. Five of them, including the Mouse. I could barely escape with both of us intact.’

Rage flashes through her. Them! They did this… The Mouse and his comrades. How could they?

‘Will he recover?’ she asks through gritted teeth.

He shrugs. ‘You should ask Xigbar about that. I must take Xehanort to his chamber and report to the Master. He does not like to be kept waiting, as you know.’

He hobbles away quickly out of the room without looking back before she can do anything else. She can’t help but snarl under her breath. Of course he would run away. Spineless coward. 

Yet he is right to leave, for it does not do to anger Master Xehanort, who is powerful in the darkness. Part of her can’t help but admire that about him. Someday, she may be that powerful, and then… 

She shakes her head and turns her thoughts to the more important matter. Perhaps Luxord is right, and the best course of action is to talk to Xigbar. However, she despises the sharpshooter. His teasing and banter grate on her nerves and make her want to slap him.

Even so, Xigbar is currently the acting manager of their organization and if she wishes to discover what happened to Xehanort—no, Terra—she must speak to him. So, she grits her teeth again and goes. 

When she asks, however, Xigbar refuses to let her see him. She glares at the sharpshooter with wrathful eyes and bared lips and hisses, ‘Why can I not see him?’

Xigbar shrugs, and grins to hide his discomfort. Her rage is like nothing he’s ever seen before. ‘He needs to rest. Which means no visitors. Seems like he was more hurt than we thought he was.’ 

She snarls at him in response. Xigbar mockingly puts his hands up. ‘Hey, hey, don’t kill the messenger.’ She glares at him and he backs away. ‘You’ll see him when you see him. No big deal, right?’

‘Get out of my sight,’ she hisses, never mind that she was the one who came to him. He eagerly obeys. He may be a higher-up rank than her, but like most of the other members her feral appearance disconcerts him. Terra-Xehanort is the only one who is not wary of her, something which she appreciates greatly. 

She closes her eyes and feels the pang in her heart. They rarely have time together, and so it hurts that she cannot see him now. It hurts more than she expected it to, truth be told. She is a Xehanort; she should not care like this if one of her peers is hurt or in danger. 

With their scheduled sleeping time approaching, she marches to her bedchamber and prepares for bed. As she does so she continues to be hounded by thoughts of Terra-Xehanort, and that ache she feels deep within her heart. Is he all right? Are they hurting him? What will they do to him now? 

I want to see him. I want to see for myself that he is all right.

She curls up on the bed and closes her eyes. The thought of seeing him whirls round and round in her head until–

oOoOo

She walks towards him amid a sea of darkness. His heart lightens instantly at the sight of her. It’s all just a dream, but he doesn’t care. He’s just glad to see her again. 

Aqua… 

Her now-gold eyes look mercilessly at him. Hold me, they demand. So he does. She responds by burying her face into his neck. It feels heavenly, like he’s regained a part of himself that’s been missing. A voice in his head screams at him to stop, but he only pulls her closer against him. 

‘I’m scared,’ she says in a muffled voice.

‘Yeah,’ he murmurs. ‘Me too.’

‘Did they hurt you?’

‘They didn’t,’ he assures her. ‘Don’t worry.’

‘I always worry,’ she retorts.

‘I know,’ he breathes out, trying and failing to smile. ‘I do, too.’

‘I wish we were all together again. You, me and Ven… I haven’t seen him since… since it happened.’

‘We’ll find him someday,’ he promises her. It’s a dangerous thing to say, but he can’t stand to see her so despairing. 

‘Will we?’ She gazes at him with those shining eyes and he wishes that he could be certain about it. The truth is that neither of them know where Master Xehanort took Ventus and they don’t have the means to find out. They don’t even have the means to escape. She knows this too—he can see it in her eyes. But still she is willing to snatch every bit of hope she can. 

He lets out a shuddering breath. ‘Yeah.’ 

She lays a not-so-gentle hand against his cheek. ‘Terra…’

Closing his eyes, he reaches and covers that hand with his own. Maybe he should tell her now, because he might never have another chance to. Maybe…

He opens his mouth. ‘Aqua, I—’ 

oOoOo

‘Aqua!’

He wakes up with her name on his lips, grabbing for a hand that is not there. Aqua… don’t go…

There was darkness, he recalls, and the feeling of a powerful unseen force ripping a feminine hand away from his own. And screams of shock that pierced him to the core. The cries echoed his own. He reached for her hand, but she was gone before he could grab hold of it.

It takes a few moments before he is fully awake and remembers that he is alone in his chamber. His heart is aching now, as if he’s lost something precious. It’s strange how badly he wants to see her now—how his eyes sting with tears and his hearts aches at her absence. It is almost as if…

He shakes his head. No, that is not possible. He does not even know her that well. And yet he is captivated by her—the ferocity and rage in her gold eyes, the silver-blue of her hair and the way she smiles at him. It makes his heart resonate and throb painfully, as if it knows something that he does not.

It is the cause of his need to be close to her. It is gnawing at his heart, weakening it. For his own good, it must be stopped before it consumes him entirely, but he is not sure that he has the strength to do it. 

I want to see her, he finds himself thinking. I must have her. Soon…

oOoOo

Days pass, until finally Xemnas approaches her after she is returning from a mission in Prankster’s Paradise and tells her, ‘You may see him now.’

Immediately she rushes to his bedchamber, Xemnas following at a statelier pace. Her heart hammers in anticipation. Finally, after all of those days, he is well enough for her to see him again. How well is he? Is he… changed… in any way? For some reason her heart lurches in fear at the thought of that. She would rather he stay as he is.

She is relieved when she finally sets her eyes on him. He looks paler and still seems a little sickly, she notes critically, but otherwise he looks unchanged. That is a relief. He looks back at her with an impassive expression on his face, but she can still sense that he is happy to see her. For some reason that gives her a warm feeling inside of her heart. She has a sudden compulsion to grip his hand, but she does not, very conscious of Xemnas standing beside her watching them both. It would not do to reveal to him just how close they have become in the past months. Instead she tells Terra-Xehanort, ‘It is good that you are awake. We have been waiting for you.’ 

He does not respond to her—he just stares at her expressionlessly. At this she falls silent, slightly perturbed and wondering what could be wrong. He is fine, is he not?

‘We trust that you feel better now,’ Xemnas says smoothly, taking the attention from Aqua. ‘Your… accident… was unfortunate.’

‘Yes.’ There seems to be a flicker of something—hatred, anger, resentment? —in Terra-Xehanort’s eyes when he glances at Xemnas, but it is gone before she can determine what it is.

Xemnas’ eyes narrow, but he turns away and leaves the bedchamber, but not before promising, ‘We will not allow such a thing again to keep you from your duties. You will both be in good hands now.’

And with that, he leaves them alone. As soon as he is gone, Aqua moves to sit on the bed-space beside him and takes his hand in her own. She looks down at him with blazing gold eyes, but Terra-Xehanort can tell that she is happy and relieved to see him mostly unharmed.

‘Do not do that again,’ she snaps. She does not say aught else, but he can see in her eyes how scared she had been. ‘I was frightened.’

‘Do not fear… Master Aqua,’ he responds. ‘I will take no risks. I do not wish to see you hurt.’

‘Good,’ she says coldly. ‘See that you do not.’ 

‘I will,’ he promises. 

Automatically he moves to the edge of the mattress to give her more room, and she climbs onto the bed and snuggles against him with a sigh of contentment. It feels like bliss to him. They stay like that for a good long while, until he feels himself nodding off to sleep again, and he thinks that he could do this forever.


	5. Endless Desire

It is close to midnight, but Xehanort lies wide awake in his bedchamber. He cannot stop thinking about Master Aqua. It has been weeks since the day he last saw her, when they lay together in his room when he was recovering from being injured. Master Aqua… He writhes and groans with the force of his desire for her. Her smile… her laughter… her rage… The very thought of her is almost enough to send him over the edge.

After another half hour of tossing and turning, he makes his decision. He raises himself out of the bed and strides out of his bedchamber. He will have her now and this feeling will leave him once and for all. They—he—cannot have it distracting him from what is most important.

He creeps into Master Aqua’s bedchamber. She is standing at the window, gazing out at the moonlit scenery outside. It looks like she could not sleep as well. What is for the same reason as him? He finds himself hoping that this is the case. 

She turns around when she hears him approach. Somehow, he knows that she has had another nightmare. It is in the hollow look in her eyes and the frown between her brows.

‘You should not be here,’ she says flatly. ‘It is past curfew.’

Curfew does not matter to him now, not when he could have her. Part of him is disturbed by how lifeless she appears to be. The other part of him just wants to plunder her and be done with it.

‘I must see you,’ he tells her. When she moves to turn away, he grips her arm, forcing her to stay put. 

‘I want you,’ he breathes out. ‘I must have you.’

Her eyes widen, but she does not say anything to stop him as he cups her cheek with his other hand. He wants her, and by god he will have her. 

‘Master Aqua—’

She roughly grabs and deeply kisses him on the lips. It takes mere seconds for him to respond in kind.

It feels good, to finally fulfill his aching desire. They move in unison together, legs and arms and lips touching and tasting, urgently in their need for one other. He does not know how they make it onto the bed, but soon they are wrapped in each other’s arms, mother-naked. He plunders her and listens as she moans and gasps and writhes in pleasure.

When it is done, they rest against each other, gasping for air, their limbs tangled together, not feeling the need to move yet. He rests his head against her cheek, so still that he clearly hears the beat of her heart next to his own and the ragged breaths she makes through her mouth. 

He should go now, before his bed is found to be empty and they both get into trouble for breaking curfew. He should… but, he admits to himself, he does not truly want to. At this moment, all he wants is to lay here with Aqua and pretend that nothing is wrong in their lives.

Leaving is the most sensible idea, so he reluctantly moves to go. However, he is stopped by her fingers digging into his arm.

‘Stay,’ she orders. 

He closes his eyes as she cups his cheek with one darkened hand. ‘I… I cannot. I am sorry.’ 

‘I see…’ Her voice hardens. He keeps his eyes closed so that he does not have to see the pain in her eyes.

‘If you cannot stay, then come back,’ she continues after a long pause. ‘Promise me you will come back.’

He finds that he does not have the heart to refuse her. Besides, to his own surprise, he wants to return to her, if he can. So he nods at her and caresses her cheek before promising, and then clothes himself and exits her bedchamber. 

oOoOo

And so their secret dalliance begins. They meet every few nights close to midnight, after curfew, in either Aqua’s room or his. It is dangerous, for they could be intercepted at any time and asked questions about why they are meeting past curfew when they should be fast asleep in their own bedchambers. Xehanort does not care, though. The risk is worth it if he can see her.

Xehanort feels a bliss like no other each time he enters her chamber and settles into her arms. She gazes at him without speaking, brushing her fingers across his cheek. His heart pounds in his chest at the sensation it brings. He leans in to kiss her and is gratified when she melts toward him with a sigh.

‘We can kill them and leave…’

It is something that Master Aqua sometimes says during those rare moments she meets him. A wistful dream she longs for but knows that she cannot achieve. 

‘Do not be foolish,’ he snaps at her. ‘He will know if we try.’

She just sighs and reaches for him again to caress his cheek. If only it were that easy and simple. But he is right, unfortunately. Master Xehanort always knows what they are thinking and can directly take control of them if he chooses to. The only reason he has not done so yet is because they have not given him a reason to. 

‘Do you miss it? How we used to be?’

She does not know what possesses her to say that, but she can feel her body tense, as if the answer to the question is important to her. 

She can see his eyes narrow as he processes her words. ‘No,’ he says shortly. ‘I do not remember.’

‘Oh.’ She looks away, not wanting him to see the pain that has suddenly and unexpectedly ensnared her heart. ‘Of course.’ 

‘Why would you ask such a thing?’ he asks curiously. ‘It does not matter now. This is all we have left.’

‘I…’ He can see in her eyes that she agrees with him. It is impossible to go back to the way things used to be, however much they wish they could. Not only have they become entirely different people, but Master Xehanort looms in their minds, controlling them. 

‘I hate this,’ she mutters. 

He shrugs. ‘He is our master. He can do whatever he wishes with us.’

‘Do not be like that,’ she snaps. ‘Why—’

‘It is true,’ he breaks in. ‘It is not so bad, is it? We are together, after all…’

‘Yes… Oh, yes.’ She gasps in pleasure as he hungrily kisses behind her earlobe.

It helps as a distraction from her pain and frustration. Even after all these months the darkness still plagues her. She does not know why she still resists it, but she does. She doesn’t dwell on it though, and instead allows the pleasure of sex to sweep her away.

She does not know at what point she falls asleep, but soon she finds herself half-waking from a deep slumber. She is wrapped in Terra’s arms, just as she was before she fell asleep, but this time it feels… different. Her senses tingle; she can barely feel the tiniest flicker of light in them both. It terrifies her, though she has no idea why. She is a being of darkness; she should not be afraid of the darkness consuming her.

‘Terra?’ She reaches to touch one of his cheeks, hoping against hope that he is all right.

He looks at her with gold eyes that skewer her heart. ‘Stop saying that name,’ he snarls at her. ‘My name is Xehanort.’

She feels her lip tremble; her eyes burn with tears she refuses to let fall. This is wrong, all wrong. She refuses to let go of this. It would be like letting Master Xehanort take him once and for all. 

‘No,’ she breathes out. ‘You are Terra. Terra.’

He is silent; she cannot tell if he is mulling her words over in his mind. She cannot tell if he believes her or not. No matter. There is only one thing that is most important. 

She falls asleep again just as he is about to reply.

oOoOo

Days after his and Aqua’s last meeting, Xemnas approaches him while he is preparing for sleep. Xehanort does not deign to react to his sudden presence, for he has no particular liking for the Nobody. He is after all the one who brought Master Aqua to the World That Never Was bloodied and broken, and seemingly did not care a damn about her well-being when he was tasked with capturing her. He does not deserve any reaction from him.

Xemnas does not care, in any case, what Xehanort is doing. In his own true fashion, the Nobody slowly comes to a halt in front of him, a knowing smirk plastered on his face. 

‘You and Master Aqua have become very close over the past months,’ the senior Organisation member observes. ‘Is this not true, Xehanort?’

Xehanort can feel his heart leap in his chest (caused by the part of Terra in him, no doubt), though he tries not to show it. Any sort of display of affection toward another Seeker is frowned upon as a disgusting light-based behaviour that has no place in the True Organization. ‘Yes,’ he says flatly. ‘It is true.’

‘Hmm.’ Xemnas gazes at him impassively; Xehanort cannot tell what he is thinking, if anything at all. ‘I hope that it will not interfere with your duties, Xehanort. We cannot have either of you deviating. There is too much at stake and too much to be done. Our master does not tolerate shirkers.’

‘I understand,’ Xehanort responds dully. ‘It will not interfere with our duties.’

Xemnas’ eyes narrow, but he does not voice any doubts that he has in his mind. Instead he says, ‘Pray that it is so. For if it is not, there will be severe repercussions for you both. Do I make myself clear?’

Xehanort nods, not daring to speak physically. The threat in Xemnas’ words is very clear. Xehanort can feel the sweat bead on his forehead. Who knows what the Master could do to either of them? He suppresses a shiver and meets Xemnas’ eyes.

‘It will not interfere,’ he repeats. 

‘See that it does not,’ Xemnas says curtly. Or else, is the unspoken addition to the sentence. ‘Sleep well,’ the Nobody says in farewell before exiting the bedchamber. Xehanort is left alone to ponder his words.

He knows that he should take heed of that warning, and perhaps stop this nonsensical dalliance with Master Aqua, or perhaps limit them. But the moment she enters his bedchamber after curfew and launches herself at him, any intentions he may have had shatter into nothingness, and without any doubt he knows that he cannot stop this relationship of theirs, and nor does he want to. He will stay with her, wherever it leads them both.

oOoOo

That night, after their first round of pleasure, he tells Master Aqua about his conversation with Xemnas. As he expects, her face and eyes darken and a furious glare settles onto her face. She snarls and grips his neck with one hand. ‘How dare he try and do this to us. You are mine and I will not let him part us.’

He does not disagree with her on that. He has been hers ever since he first set eyes on her months ago.

‘And you are mine,’ he tells her with a smirk. ‘I do not lose what is mine.’

To his immense satisfaction, she glares at him but does not object to his sudden statement. Instead she urges him back into her, saying, ‘Again. Harder this time.’ He obeys all too readily. Bedding her, knowing that she willingly submits to him, is intoxicating and he can’t get enough of it. He closes his eyes and gives pleasure to her, listening as she moans and gasps in ecstasy. 

‘I mean it,’ she says when they next take a break. ‘I will kill them if they try to separate us.’

He scoffs but does not say anything. She knows as well as he does that what she is suggesting is impossible. She cannot kill anyone without Master Xehanort’s express approval. He finds himself appreciating the sentiment, however. No one has ever shown this much care toward him before. It brings up feelings inside his heart that are better off hidden and buried. 

‘Terra—’

‘I have told you already, I am not him!’ he snarls at her. Why must she keep pursuing it? It only dredges up unwanted, painful memories that are better left forgotten.

She ignores him. ‘Will they try to separate us?’

He thinks of Xemnas’ threat, of his concern that they may deviate from their intended directive, and what he might do if they do. For some reason his heart freezes at the thought of seeing them drag Master Aqua away and hearing her screams as they torture her. 

‘Yes,’ he finally says. ‘If it interferes with our duties. But it will not. We will make sure of it.’

She looks at him for a long moment, and then nods. He makes to fall asleep until he hears her voice. 

‘Terra.’ 

Xehanort glances up at Master Aqua to see her smirking at him with those lips of hers. His heart turns over in his chest at the sight of it. He closes his eyes as she teasingly brushes her fingers across his face. ‘Promise that you will stay with me always,’ she demands. ‘No matter what.’

He could ignore her, but somehow he does not have the heart to. ‘Yes,’ he breathes. ‘I promise.’

‘Good.’ She holds him tightly, so much so that he can feel her breasts pushing against his chest. ‘You are mine. I will not let you go.’

He smiles. Her possessiveness never fails to delight him. 

They fall asleep in each other’s arms. Early in the morning Terra—Xehanort—awakens and slips away, kissing her on the forehead before he does so. She is only half-awake when that happens, and after she falls asleep again she does not dream at all. When she wakes up the next morning, she only feels a pit of fear in the bottom of her heart, as if something has deeply terrified her, and there is a stir of grief in her heart as well. Whatever it is, she can only hope that it is not as dire as she feels it to be.


	6. Endless Conversation

Whenever he meets with Master Aqua, Xehanort can feel his heart fill with something other than what he wakes up to every single day. He cannot place this feeling, not even months after he has started meeting with her–he only knows that he feels better when they are together. She gives him a warm feeling that he has not ever felt before.

He must admit that it feels good to know that there is someone who cares, who wants him to stay. He does not remember what it felt like to have anyone care about him so much. It is more intoxicating than the thought of going to her bed.

Sometimes he wonders if she feels it too. Does her heart feel as if it is bursting with joy and elation and confusion and fear? Does she long to see him just as he does her? If he is honest with himself, he longs to know, but he cannot bring himself to ask her.

He knows that Xemnas can see it, and that he does not like it. He can feel the Nobody watching him with narrowed eyes as he goes about the Organization’s business with thoughts of her in his mind, and as he lingers in the common room waiting for her to return from missions. He has not forgotten Xemnas’ warning, but he does not care enough now to take heed of it. All he can think about is her.

One night, he is lying in bed with her, both of them resting after a round of pleasure, when she asks him a surprising question. ‘Why do you not like being called Terra?’ 

For a moment he stares at her, determining what to say to appease her. She looks back at him with demanding gold eyes, waiting for his answer.  
‘I am not Terra,’ he finally tells her. ‘And I do not want to be. That is all.’

He hopes that this is enough to make her back down, but she simply frowns at him as if she does not believe a word he is saying. Before he can stop her, she reaches out a calloused hand to cup his cheek and looks deep into his eyes. ‘It causes you pain,’ she observes. ‘You do not like that. You want it to go away.’

‘No!’ Incensed, he swats her hand away. She glares at him but does not retaliate. ‘Do not presume to know what I am feeling!’

She shrugs. ‘I know that I am right… Terra.’

There is a small smirk on her face as he glowers at her, considering the many ways he could seriously maim her—all of which he immediately dismisses from his mind. He knows that he cannot bring himself to hurt her. 

‘Why do you keep calling me Terra?’ he asks her instead. ‘You know that I do not like it.’

Her eyes snap at him. ‘It is your name.’

He cannot help but laugh at that idea. And yet, for some reason his heart pangs at her words, as if he actually does miss that name and longs to hear it again. That is ridiculous. Why would he feel that way? It is just a name. And he is not Terra. Of that he is certain, even if Master Aqua is so adamant that he is him.

‘It is not my name,’ he tells her. ‘Do not push the subject any further. Please…’

He does not know what has possessed him to say that, but he cannot take it back now. He does not think he even wants to take it back. 

She stares at him with wide eyes that soften as he rests one hand on her cheek.

‘I—’

For a moment, he considers telling her exactly what he is thinking now. Then he feels her roughly shake his hand off her cheek, and he regains his senses. 

‘Forget this,’ he flatly tells her. ‘I should not have started this conversation at all.’

She merely draws him to her once more for a kiss. Soon they are again lost in their own desire for one another.

Days later, Xemnas comes into his bedchamber as he is preparing for the new day ahead. Xehanort does not notice him until he is standing right next to his bed.  
He tries to ignore the Nobody as he rummages for his clothes and puts on his black coat.

‘Do you love her?’ Xemnas asks suddenly.

What? Xehanort glares at him. ‘That is none of your business!’

Xemnas sighs. ‘I have seen you watching her from afar. She is on your mind, at every single moment of the day. You cannot think of anything else but her. I can see it in your eyes, however much you try to hide it.’

‘That is not true,’ Xehanort snaps. 'I do not love her. Now leave!’

Unfortunately, this is still not enough to satisfy the senior Organization member. His heart freezes as Xemnas’ lips curl into a smirk. ‘She is breath-taking, is she not? A fine addition to our ranks. Ferocious, powerful, filled with rage… I am tempted to have a taste of her myself.’

A snarl rips from his throat before he can stop it. ‘Do not touch her!’

Filled with rage, he lunges at the Nobody, but Xemnas only laughs and evades his attack. ‘So you do love her,’ the Nobody muses. ‘How… intriguing. It should not be possible in a being as dark as you are.’ 

‘Why do you care?’ Xehanort snarls. ‘I am what you want me to be.’

‘So you understand,’ Xemnas says smoothly. ‘That is good. It would be a shame to see all our hard work on you gone to waste.’

As he walks away, his parting words echo in Xehanort’s ears: ‘Do not forget what will occur if you fail to stay true to your position in this organisation. If we believe that you are straying, we may be forced to more… severe… methods to counter it.’

He does not care what Xemnas thinks or threatens. Master Aqua is his and he will not let Xemnas take her. Not for anything or any reason. Not even the threat of the most heinous torture would sway him.

But still… he finds himself compelled to remind himself (and her) of his claim on her, just in case, in the clearest way imaginable. By the time he is done, he intends to have Master Aqua whimpering with pleasure in the bed beneath him. He will hold her tightly and kiss her until she is breathless, and they will both know that she is his, not Xemnas’ or anyone else’s. That is what he tells himself, at least.

The reality of course is another story entirely. Once he takes her to bed, she refuses to be dominated by him. She tries her best to dominate him instead—she bites, she scratches, she kisses him so deeply and holds him so roughly that he thinks he can see stars. It is glorious and infuriating at the same time, and only makes him double his efforts to dominate her.

‘Oh…’ she gasps raggedly. It pleases him to hear her speak that way, as if she is basking in the pleasure he is giving her. ‘Yes…’

‘You are mine,’ he snarls at her. ‘Only mine. Not Xemnas’. No one else’s but mine.’

In response, she slaps him. ‘Do not be foolish,’ she snaps. ‘You are mine. I belong to no one.’ 

He scoffs at her, daring her to prove him wrong; she kisses him roughly and deeply in retaliation and presses her forehead against his.

‘Run away with me,’ she breathes out.

‘What?’

‘Run away with me,’ she repeats. ‘Soon I will be more powerful than him—powerful enough to break free of this torment. When that time comes we will escape together and become a force to be reckoned with.’

‘No!’ he snarls at her. ‘It is not possible! He will not let us escape! If we try he will only find us again and punish us.’

Her voice is more vibrant than he has ever heard it be. Her lips curl up into an icy smirk. ‘He cannot recapture us if we kill them all first. Think of it, Terra.’ She runs her hands along his neck suggestively, making him groan and close his eyes. ‘We will be free from him. We will set out from this place, explore the worlds, make our own chaos wherever we go… It would be glorious. Do you not agree?’

‘I…’ He is distinctly aware of the many reasons this would never work, his desire to stop her from doing something life-threateningly foolish and his need to stay true to the Organization, but he is also aware of the fingers purposefully stroking his face and the increasing heat of his groin. There is only one answer he can give her at this point. ‘Yes.’

‘Good.’ Master Aqua smiles at him. ‘I want us to be together forever, without him keeping us apart. Soon we can break free and the pain will be over.’

He cannot say no to her. Though he does not like it, he knows that he will follow her to the ends of the earth, no matter what happens.


	7. Endless Pleasure

She continues to bide her time. Over the past weeks, the darkness has strengthened within her, pushing back against the Xehanort influence, loosening the control he has over her. Soon, she knows that it will cancel out the influence, and she will be free.  
It may be foolhardy to try and leave, but she does not care. For so long, she has strained at her bindings, longing for freedom. Now that she is so close to obtaining it at last, she cannot back down.  
She has never felt more powerful than the moment when she lay in Terra’s–Xehanort’s–arms and heard him agree to run away with her. It is like a dream come true. He is hers, and now she has the proof of it. We can kill them, she tells him repeatedly. We can kill them all and leave this place. Is that so difficult to ask for? For them to be together and free?  
Xehanort believes that she is not thinking clearly about any of this, but he goes along with it anyway. Part of him hopes that she speaks the truth, and another part of him does not want to be separated from her again. Not only would she be gone if she does this, but he’d likely never see her again, something which gives him an empty feeling deep inside his heart. He cannot let her go like that and not follow.  
To Xehanort’s surprise, she manages to convince Xemnas to let them both go on a mission together. It sends a strange feeling of unease through his heart, especially seeing the impassive look on Xemnas’ face. He does not think about it anymore, however, after seeing the jubilant look in Master Aqua’s eyes. It lights up her entire face and robs him of breath.  
When they are alone again, she kisses him. ‘Soon…’ she says. ‘Soon we will be together forever and free.’  
Her words give him a feeling of rightness in his heart that he has never felt before.  
It takes another few weeks for Xemnas to finally send them both on a mission together. Aqua lets out a breath of anticipation as he gives them their orders and dismisses them. Finally… She can barely force herself to wait until the dark corridor forms before she hurries through it, Terra—Xehanort—following at a slower pace.  
‘What now?’ he asks her, once they have emerged into the world. ‘This was your idea.’  
‘Wherever we want,’ she says simply.  
She takes his hand and grips it tightly. He returns the squeeze, to her satisfaction. For a long moment their eyes meet, filled with emotions they dare not say aloud, before turning away toward the distant horizon. Whatever happens now, they are together and nothing and no-one else can tear them apart.  
oOoOo  
They go wherever their blackened hearts lead them. Aqua is usually the one who suggests their destination—Xehanort does not care enough to choose. He ran away to be with her, after all, and it doesn’t matter to him where they go as long as they are together.  
Aqua, on the other hand, has a craving for freedom that he does not have. In another life, she had read books about other worlds and their many tales and had always wanted to see for herself the legends that she had read about. Although she is now darkened and trapped, she still retains that trait.  
Terra had been the same. He had loved the idea of adventure, seeing other worlds and (most of all) helping people. Xehanort is different from him. He has known nothing but obedience and duty for his entire existence, and thus has never had that urge to escape and see new places or have more freedom.  
Until he had become acquainted with Master Aqua, he would never have considered betraying the Organization and shirking his duties by running away. It would’ve gone against everything he was. Now, however, he feels differently. What he feels for Aqua is stronger than any bond he has toward the Organization. He would rather be with her and risk punishment than stay behind and be alone again.  
It gives him a surprising amount of joy to see her cruel smile when they come across a lone village, days after they first left the Organization behind them. ‘Let us raid it,’ she suggests. She did promise that they would make chaos, after all. He all too willingly agrees, entranced by the fervour and ecstasy in her eyes, as well as the call of the darkness.  
They pillage their way through it, casting dark firaga on the wooden houses, immune to the screams of agony of the victims who are caught in the blaze. Aqua’s eyes shine with something that makes his heart skip a beat. He cannot take his eyes off her—the way she moves as if she is dancing and smoothly tears out the hearts of any villagers who have the misfortune of being too close to her. Those villagers disappear into darkness, becoming Heartless. She is so majestic that he longs to grab her and have her there and then, but of course that is not possible. She notices his desire, though, and smiles with satisfaction at the thought that she could cause such a reaction within him.  
He enjoys himself immensely during the raid, and not just because of the dark glory that is Master Aqua. The pain and horror of the screaming villagers sings to him, and he cannot get enough of it. As they leave the village behind, however, he can sense a sickness in his heart, and when he turns his head he sees the emptiness in Master Aqua’s eyes. It is as if what they have done had left a permanent mark on them both, one that will never go away. He does not know what to make of it, so he just swallows the feeling back and fixes his mind on other thoughts.  
They avoid the next villages they pass, without quite knowing why, choosing to stick to wilderness whenever possible. They cannot make themselves terrorize another village, no matter how appealing it is to them. They feed on wild berries and other foods that they can easily find. It is not as filling as the darkness the villagers emitted, but it will do.  
Eventually, they find a world they have never been to before, where an aurora borealis is occurring. They crouch on the edge of a cliff and watch it happen, filled with awe at the sight.  
‘It is beautiful,’ Aqua breathes out. ‘I have never seen anything like it.’  
As he turns to look at Master Aqua, his heart flips to see a smile that he has never truly seen until now. A smile that lights up her face with joy and softens her eyes. It makes her look more beautiful than he could ever have imagined. Certainly more beautiful than the sky.  
‘Yes,’ he agrees, unable to stop gazing at her.  
She notices him staring and her smile widens. He opens his mouth, ready to tell her exactly what he is thinking, but he finds that he cannot bring himself to speak. The feeling that smile gives him is unable to be expressed into mere words.  
Instead, he pulls her to him and brings his lips to hers. He supposes that gives her the message clear enough. He can feel her lips move slightly as she holds his face in between her palms and returns his kiss as if it is the most important thing in the world. She makes a sound that is most beautiful to him and he groans and presses her even closer to his body.  
He hopes that it will go further than a mere kiss, but to his consternation she pushes him away before it can. As he looks at her with frustration and anger in his eyes, she says to him, ‘Not here. We must find a place to camp for the night.’  
Although he knows she is right, it is difficult for him to hide his frustration. He wants her now. But he will not take from her what she does not want to give yet. He has come to care too much for her to do that, and besides, he knows she would never let him get the better of her. Though that does not stop those feelings from making themselves known within his heart.  
That night, after making camp, they lie close to one another and gaze up at a starry night sky, marvelling at the many lights present above them. Their hands are held tightly within each other’s; Xehanort can feel the warmth and callouses of Master Aqua’s palm against his own. He gives thanks that he can hold her hand like this now—before their dalliance in the castle, it was rare that they would ever meet, much less make physical contact. He supposes that it was Xemnas’ doing. Xemnas had not wanted them to become too close, for fear of how they might influence each other. It does not matter now, since they have already run away together.  
From Terra’s memories, he knows that he and Aqua had spent a large portion of their childhood on the summit of their home, gazing up at the night stars. Later, they had done it with someone who is now little more than a shadow in their memories. (Shadow or not, the thought of him still brings an ache to Xehanort’s heart, deep down. Ventus is still important to him—no, to Terra—even if he does not remember much of him anymore.)  
His memory is clearer than Aqua’s. He has memories of Ventus, but those memories feel like they come another person entirely. They cannot be his memories. Master Aqua’s memories, on the other hand, are extremely warped and muddled, most likely by the darkness that has corrupted her heart.  
It had surprised him that she had forgotten Ventus, who she had a strong connection to before she fell to darkness, but he assumed that perhaps she had blocked him out of her heart because of her betrayal all those months ago, something that had caused her a great deal of grief.  
Master Xehanort had ordered her to bring him Ventus’ body and heart, as he had wanted to make a vessel out of the boy, and she had complied. She had no other choice about it. He did not find out how she had done it, but soon after she had returned from her mission, he had seen her in passing curled up on a couch in the Gray Room. She was white-faced with a look of immense pain; her fingers tightly gripped the Terra’s Mark at the centre of her chest. He had not bothered to go to her—it was none of his business and he had not understood why she would be upset over a mission. At the same time, though, part of him had wanted to comfort her—had felt the same feeling of loss in his heart that she had been feeling.  
Soon after that, she had sunk deeper into darkness and had become more like the dark being she is now. He is glad of that. She is truly majestic in the darkness, more than she was in the light. She belongs in the darkness–just like him. It heartens him to think of it.  
He has no intention of asking her what she remembers, of course. He has no wish to trigger any precious memories of Ventus that Master Aqua may have. He is not that selfless and kind-hearted.  
He does not know how long they have been laying on the ground when Aqua’s voice breaks through his thoughts, sounding abrupt and very certain.  
‘Someone is missing.’  
He glances at her with a start. ‘What do you mean?’  
She shakes her head, confusion clear in her eyes. ‘I do not know. There is a boy. I can sometimes feel him when I am sleeping. We have looked at the stars before with him.’  
‘Do you know his name?’ he asks, curious despite himself.  
She shakes her head again. ‘No… But I can feel it in here.’ She presses a hand against his beating heart. ‘My heart knows him. Your heart does too.’  
He breathes ragged breaths, the hand on his chest very present to him at that moment. ‘How do you know?’ he asks quietly. ‘About my heart?’  
‘I just do,’ she tells him. ‘You would know too if you would just listen.’  
He does not question her any further; she leans forward to kiss him on the lips and he pulls her to him, desperate to be lost in her again. But, having more to say, she backs away slightly and looks deeply into his gold eyes.  
‘He should be here,’ she tells him in a breaking voice. ‘I can feel it, and it hurts. Why is he not here? Did we… leave him behind?’  
He does not know what to say to that, or to the increasingly agonised look on her face, so he just holds her close to him and tries to calm her suddenly trembling body and murmurs soothing words to her until she relaxes fully against him and closes her eyes.  
‘Do not fear, Master Aqua,’ he tells her in a voice that is gentle by his own standards. ‘We did not leave him behind. He will be safe with us… I promise.’  
He repeats those words until she falls asleep against him, her body curled into his. He knows them for lies, but they awaken a feeling of protectiveness for the boy that he has never felt before. He longs to find him and keep him safe from whatever danger he is in, and it hurts his heart that he cannot do that. Why he is having this feeling, he has no clue. He just knows that it is there.  
When he finally sleeps, he dreams of Ventus.


	8. Endless Rage

That night, she dreams of the boy who she has felt for the past few nights. What is his name? She cannot consciously remember, but her heart recalls it immediately. It fills her with a swamp of emotions: Joy. Guilt. Grief. Pain. Sorrow.

Somewhere in the expanse of darkness that surrounds her, he calls her name. Her heart leaps in her chest. Could it be…? No, why would he want to see her? She gave him to Master Xehanort. She has done unspeakable things. He should hate her.

Even so, she can feel him reaching for and calling to her. And then she is reaching for him, suddenly desperate to get to him. Suddenly, the darkness dissolves around her and she finds herself in a small dusty dungeon cell. As she contemplates why she has appeared in this place, she sees a surprisingly familiar figure in the corner of her eye.

She can barely breathe as she spins around to look at him. And there he is, just as he appeared when she last saw him all those years ago. Messy blonde hair, short stature, friendly blue eyes. 

‘…Ventus? Is it really you?’

He doesn’t say anything, just gazes at her. He looks older and weary—far from the innocent boy she remembers from their old life in the Land of Departure. Like her and Terra, the time spent during the past thirteen years has clearly altered him permanently. It pains her to see it, as it is largely her fault, and so she turns her head away.

She waits for any response he might give, but all he says is, ‘Come find me, Aqua. I’m waiting.’

oOoOo

When she wakes up, Master Aqua knows what she must do. She shakes Terra-Xehanort awake and tells him of her dream.

‘It is a message,’ she says resolutely. ‘We must go back to the castle and find him. I know it in my heart.’

He agrees, and they set off. Xehanort is still a bit reluctant, but he knows that she will go anyway, and he does not wish to be left behind. Besides, something in him tells him that this is the right course of action. They must return to The World That Never Was and rescue Ventus if they wish to move forward now.

They get into the castle so easily that it worries Xehanort. There should be more guards about. Something must be wrong. What if this is a trap?

Does it matter? A voice deep inside him says. We are already inside.

And besides, he reminds himself, they are both capable fighters and can face whatever comes next together. He must believe that, or else how can they survive?

He looks at Master Aqua and can see the cold determination in her eyes. He remembers her promise. We will kill them all. Gods help him, part of him—the Terra part—hopes that they do. That part of him wishes nothing more than to see them dead at his feet for what they have all done to him and the people he cares about. Especially Xemnas. But another part of him—the Xehanort part—recoils at the thought of harming the people who made him who he was. They may not have any choice about it, of course, if they wish to rescue Ventus.

They descend into the castle dungeons. They have never been down there before, but it does not matter. All they have to do is focus on Ventus’ heart and they will be led to where he is. 

When they arrive at the cell where Ventus is being kept, Xemnas is waiting for them, along with three others in the Organization. Good, Aqua thinks. She can have her vengeance on them now. 

‘I knew that you would return to us eventually.’ The Nobody steps out of the shadows of the cell, along with three others in the Organization. The sadistic Larxene is there, as are Xigbar and Marluxia. ‘You could not resist the urgings of your heart. How weak it has made you.’

Aqua opens her mouth to snarl something at the Nobody, but Xehanort breaks in, thinking that it would be better if they do not antagonise him so quickly. ‘What do you want?’

Not deigning to answer that, Xemnas steps aside to reveal the presence of a familiar-looking boy with blonde hair and blue eyes. Ventus. Darkness swirls around him, holding him in some kind of paralysis.

‘Ven!’

‘Ventus…’ Terra-Xehanort breathes beside her, sounding just as caught between horror and bitter joy as she. 

They stare at one another, trying to process what they are seeing. Ventus… To her surprise, her eyes fill with sudden stinging tears. Her heart aches with agonising feeling that she cannot comprehend. Blinking rapidly, she shakes it off and turns back to Xemnas.

‘Let him go,’ she snarls at him.

To her fury, Xemnas only laughs. ‘It will be my pleasure, if you agree to return to us, Master Aqua,’ he tells her. ‘You and Xehanort are sorely missed in the Organization.’

Her eyes flash in anger and determination. She knows exactly what he is saying, and she will have none of it. ‘Guess again!’

‘Aqua, wait—’ Xehanort reaches for her, but it is too late. She attacks, sending great balls of darkness at the Nobody and his comrades. He deflects them with ease, sending them straight back at her, causing her to dodge and attack again. He steps back, letting Larxene, Marluxia and Xigbar take over the fight. They step toward her with their intent clear in their eyes. 

The fight with Xigbar is laughably easy. Aqua toys with him for a while, dodging his lasers, before attacking and slamming him into a wall. For a moment she locks eyes with him and relishes the look of fear in his remaining eye. How the tables have turned! She remembers a time when he was nothing but cocky and smug. It is good to see this raw fear in him before she wipes that look away forever.

Without further ado, she reaches and presses her hand against his good eye and lets the darkness within her flood out. Xigbar screams as it burns it away.

‘I hope you like being blind,’ she snarls.

Xigbar is still screaming as the darkness devours him. When he is nothing but dark ash, she turns to Larxene and Marluxia.

She considers them both with callous eyes filled with hatred. ‘You helped invade my home. Because of that you deserve to die.’

Marluxia’s eyes narrow, but before he can protest the darkness devours him whole. It then makes its way to Larxene. Larxene’s eyes widen in horror as she realises what is about to happen. She can only gasp out, ‘You can’t… I can’t die again…’ before the darkness devours her as well.

After that, there is a stunned silence. Master Aqua stands on her feet still, her wrathful eyes on Xemnas. The senior Nobody does not seem phased by what just happened, or by the fury directed at him. 

‘You are magnificent.’ Xemnas’ eyes shine with admiration and hunger. ‘Truly magnificent.’

Aqua ignores his words and moves toward him. It is his time to die now. He is the one responsible for her torture and capture; he must receive the most heinous death of all.

‘Aqua—’

She will not stop until everyone associated with her—their—pain is destroyed. She steps toward Xemnas. Darkness slithers from her skin toward him–corrosive darkness that will destroy him where he stands. Xemnas however does not look afraid—in fact, he is smiling as if he is looking forward to something.

It is then that Xehanort feels a sharp stab of pain in his head. As he grimaces and raises his hand, he meets Xemnas’ knowing eyes and his mouth dries up in fear. The master may not have control over Master Aqua anymore, but he still has control over him. How did he ever think he could run away from that? It is a stark reminder that he will always belong to the Organization. 

He watches Aqua prepare to eliminate Xemnas. Part of him would gladly see him dead, but another part of him is wholly against the idea. If Aqua goes through with this, who knows what the master will do in retaliation? He cannot let him harm her. He cannot let him harm either of them.

‘Stop!’

Xehanort’s voice is so forceful that Aqua’s tendrils of darkness immediately draw back at the sound of it. He takes a deep breath as Aqua, Xemnas and Ventus all turn to stare at him. He knows what he must do. 

‘Xemnas… If you wish to make a trade, I will suffice. Just let Master Aqua and Ventus go.’

‘What?’ Aqua gapes at him. The blood drains from her face. ‘What are you—’

Xemnas narrows his eyes. ‘You have always belonged to the Organization, Xehanort. As for her–’ 

‘Shut up,’ Master Aqua snarls. Her voice is so menacing that Xemnas’ mouth closes immediately. She turns to Xehanort. ‘If you think you are going through with this, think again!’ 

‘I have made my choice,’ he says flatly. ‘You cannot stop me.’

I can try, she thinks but does not say aloud. He is hers, after all. How can she not fight for what is hers? How can she not make him see that his place is with her?

As he starts toward Xemnas, Master Aqua roughly grabs his arm. Her eyes are filled with a terrified rage that pierces his heart. ‘Do not do this!’

He shakes her hand off, glaring at her. ‘I must! I will not let him take you for himself!’

She bristles at that. He is a fool if he thinks she would be easily taken. ‘But—’ 

‘I can distract him. If I stay here, he may not wish to claim you again. You can be free, as you so wished.’ 

She wants to convince him, to make him stay with her, but he has made up his mind and nothing she can do will change it. She remembers that much of their childhood together in the Land of Departure. He was always so stubborn when he had decided to do something. (So was she, for that matter. That part of her has not changed either.)

Stay with me, her eyes beg his silently. Please…

He returns her gazes with infinite sorrow and regret. I cannot. I am sorry, Master Aqua. 

She does not resist as he kisses her forehead and turns away. ‘Please… Take Ventus and run. Do not stop until you are far away from here.’

Her shoulders slump ever so slightly. She looks so torn-up inside that his heart aches to see it. He hates that he is the cause of it.

He turns and walks toward Xemnas. Behind him, Aqua snarls in rage and grief. She makes to lunge, but Ventus grabs her arm and holds her back, whispering in her ear. From the corner of his eye, he sees Xemnas’s lip curl upward and his fingers flick. A ball of darkness forms and flies straight toward Master Aqua. Too absorbed in herself, she does not see it—but Xehanort does.

‘Aqua!’ Without thinking about it, he deflects the ball of darkness… straight toward Xemnas. It of course disintegrates before it makes contact with him. Bursting with fury, Xehanort lunges at the Nobody, ready to make him pay for daring to attack Master Aqua. Xemnas stumbles back but isn’t surprised at this sudden act of rebellion. He is him, after all, and he has his memories. He had to have seen it coming, to an extent. Not that it matters now.

He does not know why he does it—there is just one chain of thought in his mind: her name, over and over again. Another large part of him is possessive—she is his and he won’t let Xemnas kill her if he can help it.

With his entire being, he forces the Nobody away from Aqua. Xemnas does not resist—he has what he wants now. His eyes flash, and Xehanort feels his body seize and his throat constrict. Gasping for air, he scrabbles at his neck, but he can do nothing as his muscles weaken and his vision darkens. The last thing he sees is Ventus being freed from the dark paralysis and running toward Master Aqua.

That is good, part of him thinks. They can escape together, even if he cannot go with them. Once they are gone Master Xehanort will not bother pursuing them. He can take some comfort in that. 

She feels it as he falls. It feels like a big hole is being ripped through her heart, piece by piece. 

‘No!’

The rage in her is so strong that it almost feels like it will shatter her completely. Terra…Xemnas… Master Xehanort… So help her, she has a great longing to murder all three of them, painfully, for the hurt they have inflicted on her. But she cannot dwell on that now. There is Ventus to think of. So she takes a deep breath and summons a dark corridor and watches as Ventus runs through it with a backward glance, before she forces herself to walk through it as well.

They emerge into the light of day in a world she does not recognise. Numbed by what has just occurred, she allows Ventus to take the lead and follows him. She does not know where they are going, and she does not care at this point. All she can think about is Terra and Xemnas and what she has just lost. It is a bitter pill to swallow. She has gotten the freedom she so desired, but she has lost Terra. 

She should not care at all, she knows, not about another member of the Organization, but she does. He was her best friend, once, a long time ago. He also cared about her when no one else did and gave her comfort and a bit of happiness in her short and corrupted life. Now he is gone. 

She does not have time to think about that, though, because a group of light keyblade wielders has arrived. There are two of them, she notes—a boy with silver hair and another with spiky brown hair. Both are headed their way with keyblades drawn. Her chest tightens in fear as they come to a halt in front of the two of them. What could they want? What could they take from her that has not already been taken? She thinks of Ventus and bile rises up her throat. 

‘Do not touch him,’ she hisses.

‘We won’t,’ one of the other boys assures her. ‘We don’t want to hurt either of you.’

She doesn’t believe him. How can she? She has spent too long in the darkness to assume that people won’t hurt her. These people will hurt her, hurt them, just like Xehanort did. 

They have already hurt her, she thinks bitterly. They are the ones who left her in the Realm of Darkness to rot and didn’t even come to help her when she called to them for aid. It’s their fault she’s like this now. They don’t deserve her mercy. So, she lunges toward them, keyblade in hand, ready to attack.

Startled, the boy jumps back, just avoiding being sliced in two. ‘Don’t fight!’ he begs. ‘We’re here to rescue you!’

She does not care. All that matters is that they are the enemy who need to be snuffed out. She will not listen to anything they have to say.

‘Please!’

‘No,’ she snarls. ‘No!’

‘Aqua!’

It’s no use. She can’t hear Ventus—she can only hear the blood pounding in her ears and the rage and pain reverberating within her heart. They will pay for everything she has endured, every loss she has faced and the agony she has felt. She will make sure of it. She will– 

(There is suddenly a sharp pain at her temple, and then nothing. The world fades to darkness around her.)

oOoOo

Hours later, she groggily wakes up to find herself in an unfamiliar place. 

She can feel Ventus somewhere close by, but that is of no consequence. A more pressing matter is where she is. 

She takes note of her surroundings. She seems to be in some enclosed space filled with bright colours. She is lying on a stretcher of some sort… She tries to move her hands but is unable to. 

Alarm flashes through her. She looks down to see that she is in chains made of light. Her eyes widen; her mind flashes back to a memory of helplessness that she had hoped never to experience again.

‘No…’

She tugs at the bindings repeatedly, but they do not budge. ‘No!’ Panic rises within her. ‘Release me! You cannot trap me like this!’

Footsteps sound. Ventus’ face appears within her line of vision. His hand grabs her own trembling one. ‘It’s all right, Aqua,’ he says to her. ‘We’re safe now.’

She snarls at him her disagreement. She is trapped in a strange enclosed space, in chains. How can she ever feel safe?

‘I’m sorry about the chains,’ he continues. ‘We were scared you’d hurt yourself. You kept moving like you were having a nightmare.’

‘Who is we?’

‘Mickey, Sora and Riku,’ he tells her. ‘They’ve been tracking the Organization for months, searching for us. It’s lucky they found us in time, or I don’t know what could’ve happened.’

The Mouse… She closes her eyes to stop herself from screaming. Ventus has given her to the enemy. How could he do this? Why would he do this? Has he been working with them all along? 

‘No… No!’ She snarls at him; he flinches in surprise. ‘You betrayed me! You have given me to the enemy!’

The boy’s eyes widen. ‘That’s not—’

She trembles violently. ‘You… you…’ She fumbles for words as he watches with a bewildered expression.

She tries to tell him that she hates him, but she cannot bring herself to say the words. (It is not as if she actually despises him, after all.)

It does not matter in any case. He can see the venom in her eyes. It is not directed at him, but he does not know that. The look he gives her in return is filled with a hurt beyond imagining. Good. Let him feel the agony she is feeling now.

What will happen to her now? What will they do to her and Ventus? What will the Organisation do to Terra? 

She closes her eyes and tries not to let the rage and terror consume her.


	9. Endless Grief

Mysterious Tower feels like a cage. Aqua paces around the small rounded room (a cell, if she is honest with herself) she has been placed in, longing for Terra, wide-open space where she can roam free, and darkness. She and Ventus had been brought to this place by the light keyblade wielders, after they had ‘rescued’ them days before. Since then, she has chosen to remain in the room they allotted her, refusing to venture out and talk to the wielders. Why should she mingle with the enemy, after all?

Terra… gods, her heart aches for him, though she is loath to admit it, and is filled with a deep terror over what they could be doing to him. She misses him every day—the comfort and familiarity she felt in his presence, the joy and carnal pleasure he brought her. She would give anything to have him with her here now—maybe then she would feel less alone and afraid. At the same time, though, she is angry at him for leaving her like this and would gladly kill him if he were here.

She is painfully aware that she could just leave this place, as she is so powerful that no one could stop her if she chose to do so, but she cannot hurt Ventus like that. It is strange—usually she would not care about anyone else’s feelings, but it makes her uncomfortable to think of him being in pain in any way. 

She knows that she shares a strong bond with Ventus. She felt it when she first saw him when Terra was taken from her. A strange, beautiful pain and joy, as if she were coming face-to-face with something she had not realised she had been missing for all of this time. She does not know what to make of it. Part of her lights up with recognition; another part of her is dismissive of it; and yet another part of her just wants to forget it all and revel in the darkness. 

oOoOo

‘Aqua?’

It is Ventus, come to see her. She looks up as he edges into the bedroom with wide eyes, as if he thinks she will do him harm. Her? It is unbelievable. She would never hurt Ventus. Or would she?

Yes, she would, if it means getting out of this prison and finding Terra again. Nothing is more important than that. Right? Besides, Ventus is scared of her. That is enough to make the anger and hurt rise through her again. Why should he be afraid? What has she done to make him feel that way? 

She fights back the confusion and pain that stabs her heart and says coldly, ‘Yes? What do you want?’

He falters, his face falling as he sees the anger in her eyes. ‘I—Master Yen Sid wants to see you. He wants to talk about what’s been happening. He—’

He stops at the furious look on her face. Thankfully it is not directed at him, but rather at the old retired master. Master Yen Sid had been the one who had forbade Mickey from rescuing her before it was too late. She knows that now, thanks to Ventus. Why should she take the time to talk with someone who had betrayed her so badly? (And besides, she suspects that if she does go and talk with him, she will do something drastic—such as murdering him with the darkness she has at her disposal or throwing him into the Realm of Darkness so that he can see how he likes being stuck there for over twelve years.) 

‘I do not want to speak with him,’ she says without turning around. ‘You may tell him that.’

‘But—’ 

‘Go and tell him that and leave me alone.’ Please… She tries to ignore the part of her that urges her to turn and beg him to stay. That part of her is weak. That part of her will only bring pain and loss down on her again. Still, a stray tear streaks down her cheek as Ventus silently leaves her alone. 

oOoOo

She does not know what she is feeling or why. She knows that she loves Ventus like a brother, and longs to mend their relationship to how it was when they were both living in the Land of Departure with Terra and Master Eraqus. But at the same time, part of her is determined to push him away. She is dangerous and filled with darkness—what if she hurts him? She could not bear that. And she also could not bear to see the condemnation on his face when he realises the things she has done—which he would quickly discover just from seeing the truth in her eyes.

She has other visitors aside from Ventus. Almost none of them are welcome. The Mouse comes once, his eyes filled with guilt and sorrow. He tries to explain himself and ask for forgiveness for his role in her corruption, but she is not having any of that. She knows that she will never forgive him for his inaction and abruptly tells him so. It cost her everything and she cannot forget about it so quickly.

Mickey is saddened by her angry admission (for they had been good friends once), but he accepts it and leaves her alone. He does not come to visit her again, much to her relief. 

Sometimes the boy Riku visits her, along with Kairi, the Princess of Heart she met once years ago in Radiant Garden. Kairi is now a keyblade wielder herself, much to her surprise, and is currently training with Merlin and another boy named Lea in Radiant Garden. Riku is now a Keyblade Master, having passed his Mark of Mastery Exam shortly before she joined the Organization. They both hover at her bedside (Riku carefully placing himself slightly in front of Kairi) and look incredibly nervous, as if she could suddenly snap and attack them both.

They are all very wary around her, something which sets her on edge. At least in the Organization it could be used to her advantage. Here they just tip-toe around her as if she could burn them and do not let her behaviour truly affect them.

Sora (the boy with the spiky brown hair) is the only one who does not visit her. Not that she cares. It is because he is too busy travelling with Donald and Goofy in their Gummi Ship, protecting the worlds. Ventus speaks very fondly of Sora, who was after all the person who gave his heart refuge when it needed it most, and also healed it when it was shattered by Master Xehanort long ago. She would be lying if it did not upset her somewhat. Ventus used to act that way toward her, but now all he does is act wary and afraid.

She wonders if it is her fault. She has become something dark, like Vanitas and she does not hate it. She likes the darkness—she likes how it makes her feel powerful and in control. When she had first been brought into the Organization, she had felt so helpless and broken. Then when she had embraced the darkness, it had gone away and she had felt more powerful than she had ever felt before. 

Terra would understand, she knows. He would tell her that she is beautiful, that the darkness in her is beautiful. He would not fear her. He would accept her.

Deep down, she wants to have that same acceptance from Ventus. But she has seen the way Ventus acts around her, and she does not think it likely that he will love her the same way as he did before.

Weeks pass like this, and she begins to wonder why she does not go already. Because of Ventus, she tells herself. But if Ventus will not accept her, why should she stay for him? 

oOoOo

One day, she has had enough. It is time for her to leave this place and these enemies and go and find Terra again. Then they can continue doing what they’d been doing before this mess occurred. She would like to bring Ventus with her, but she knows that is not possible. Ventus fears her. It is clear enough by the way he has been avoiding her. He must hate her for handing him over to Master Xehanort. Why would he want to go anywhere with her? 

He certainly will not want her to stay. And no one else will be upset if she goes away. They must surely think that she is a monster, and that she will destroy them all eventually. Yes, leaving is the best course of action, for everyone involved. 

Unfortunately, when she walks to the end of the staircase, she finds two keyblade wielders waiting there. There to stop her from leaving, she assumes. She crosses her arms in anger as they face her with grim faces.

‘You cannot keep me here against my will,’ she snaps at them. ‘It is not your way.’

‘That’s true.’ Riku steps forward. ‘But it’s also not right to let you go when we know what you’re going to do. We can’t let you cause chaos in the worlds.’

‘What makes you think that I will do that?’

‘The look on your face,’ he says. ‘I know that look. I’ve seen it in the Heartless. You crave darkness and won’t stop yourself from bringing it into the worlds.’ 

‘Master Aqua, please listen to us,’ Kairi begs. ‘You’re sick. You need help. You can’t just leave!’ 

‘You do not know anything about me, or what I have been through,’ she snarls. ‘Nothing at all. You cannot tell me what to do!’

(Truthfully, she is not sure that she knows anything about herself anymore, either. All she knows is that she has become something dark and dangerous. Something they would not understand or tolerate.) 

‘Trust us,’ Riku says. ‘Let us help you.’

‘I do not trust any of you,’ she says coldly. ‘You abandoned me in the Realm of Darkness; when I called for aid you ignored me and let me be tortured by Xemnas. I would rather go back to the Organization than spend another minute longer here.’

She turns to leave. No one stops her. Except—

‘Aqua, wait! Don’t go!’

She turns her head to see Ventus—or someone who appears to be Ventus—coming to a halt in front of her. His hand reaches out pleadingly to her.

Foolish boy. Does he truly think he has a chance of stopping her?

She scoffs at him. ‘Why? There is nothing for me here. What do you think—’

‘Because…’ He takes a deep breath. ‘I want you to stay.’

To her surprise, he grips her wrist with his hand and places a trinket in her palm, before backing away from her. It’s made of green glass and shaped like a star. No—a wayfinder.

‘See this?’ he says. ‘You made one for each of us, as a symbol of our friendship. You said that they represented an unbreakable connection and if we had one of these we would never be torn apart.’

An unbreakable connection…

‘You promised us we’d always be together. Don’t you remember?’

She stares at the trinket mutely, and all she can see is the jagged pieces of her own falling into the sand. It makes her want to weep. Before she knows it, she is clutching it to her chest, feeling as minuscule and worthless as she did in the Dark Margin. 

Her entire body trembles with emotion. Ventus takes a careful step toward her, and then another. She does not try to stop him, can only stand frozen as he comes to a halt inches away from her.

‘Listen,’ he says desperately. ‘I don’t care if you’re like this now. I don’t care if Terra is like this. I’ve missed you so much–I–I just want my friends back.’

That’s when the dam breaks.

‘Oh, Ven…’ 

Suddenly she is crying deep, wracking sobs that reverberate through her entire body.

The other keyblade wielders quietly leave the room to give the two friends some privacy as they cling to each other with thirteen years of grief spilling down their faces. 

She does not know how long they stand like that, clinging to one another. Minutes? Hours? She only knows that time fades away around them until they can only sense each other and nothing else. She can hear herself crying as she clutches Ventus to her chest with her entire being. Strange… It feels so strange. She has not cried in a very long time. Not since Xemnas had found her at the Dark Margin and turned her into a creature of the darkness. It… feels good. Like something has been released inside of herself.

Ventus does not react badly to her strong grip; in fact, he burrows his head into her chest.

Finally, the sobs die down, and they both draw away, though they do not let go of one another. They just gaze at one another silently, daring the other to speak first. 

‘I—I know you’re hurting,’ Ventus finally says. ‘I’m hurting too. But—don’t shut us out. Riku and the rest—they’re not our enemies. They don’t want to hurt us. They want to help us. Please give them a chance.’

She cannot believe that, even now. No matter what she does, she will never forget the worst moment of her life, which only occurred because they did not help her. For so long, it has been drilled into her that they are the enemy; she will not change her opinion of them so quickly. But she can see that it means a lot to Ventus, as she sees the desperate look in his eyes, and so she reluctantly gives in.

‘I… All right.’

Ventus’ face lights up at her words; he hugs her tightly, not noticing her flinch at the gesture.

‘But I still do not trust them,’ she tells him. ‘What if they stab us in the back?’

‘Don’t worry,’ he tells her. ‘They can help us get Terra back. They won’t hurt us. They need us.’

‘I have no interest in their war,’ she retorts coldly. She just wants Terra, and Ventus. Nothing else matters to her but them. She has had enough of being used by other people for their own gain and wants nothing more than to pursue her own goals, wherever it may lead her.

‘It doesn’t matter,’ Ventus says. ‘They’ll help us anyway, even if we don’t fight. It’s the best chance we have.’

He is right about that, unfortunately. They cannot rescue Terra by themselves, however much she wants to. Reluctantly, she nods at him. He smiles again in relief and hugs her. ‘Thanks, Aqua. I swear you won’t regret it.’

She hopes she will not—or else she does not know what she will do.


	10. Endless Light

Weeks pass, and finally Aqua begins to settle into the Mysterious Tower. Although she still does not trust anyone there except Ventus, she has begun to relax and finally accept that she is in a safe place and that these people may not mean her and Ventus any harm. It helps that they are kind to her and Ventus and make it clear that they are not the same as Xehanort’s organization.

Riku and Kairi both offer to help her in their own way. Riku offers to teach her more about her darkness, and Kairi offers to use her light-based Princess of Heart powers to help heal her heart. Aqua listens to them warily, and curtly declines their offers of help. She does not trust them enough yet to know for sure if they will not just try and destroy her for being a being of darkness, and she is not willing to risk finding out. They are not disappointed about her rejection, though, and simply tell her that their offers will always stand.

Two weeks after her breakdown, however, she is finally convinced by Ventus to accept help from Kairi so that her heart can begin to recover from her long ordeal. It is difficult, of course, since she herself does not think that there is anything wrong with her and thus doesn’t see how it will help her, but soon she has to admit that Kairi’s light magic does soothe her frayed nerves and clears her mind and makes her feel lighter in general. 

Not surprisingly, she is extremely wary when Sora and Riku start hanging out with Ventus casually as friends, snarling slightly whenever she sees them get close. It is not that she hates them personally anymore—not like she still detests Mickey and Yen Sid—but she is suspicious of anything that could be a threat to Ventus. It is only when Ventus assures her that he is not in danger with them and that he wants this that she finally backs down. But not before threatening to feed them to the Heartless if they ever put Ventus in unnecessary danger.

In the meantime, she and Ventus also become more re-acquainted with one another. It has been a long time, and they hardly recognize the people they used to be. She learns of what Ventus endured while being held captive by Xehanort, while she reluctantly tells him a tiny bit about what it was like in the Organization with Terra. It pains her, but she owes Ventus that much, after all that he has been through. 

She would’ve avoided speaking of how she gave Ventus over to Master Xehanort—in fact she had hoped that they would not have to speak of it—if it weren’t for Ventus. He forces her to confront her guilt over that event, and assures her that he does not blame her for any of what he went through. She is sceptical about that, but he says firmly, ‘You weren’t in your right mind. I know that. We all do.’

She looks away from him, unable to face him. ‘That is not true,’ she says. ‘I… I did it of my own free will. When he ordered me to do it, I did not even hesitate, or think. I just did it without a second thought.’ It pains her inside to remember it, even now. She’d sworn to protect him, but instead she had betrayed him and handed him over to Xehanort.

‘No,’ he insisted. ‘He was controlling you. It wasn’t your fault. You have to believe that. And even if it was, I forgive you anyway. So, you don’t have to feel guilty about it anymore.’

It touches her that Ventus, who suffered because of what she did, is trying to reassure her and comfort her. Tears spring into her eyes at the thought of it.

‘Thank you, Ventus,’ she says. ‘You are a true friend.’

He grins a teary grin at her. ‘All I’ve wanted is to see you and Terra again,’ he tells her. ‘How could I ever be angry at either of you for anything that might’ve happened? You’re my best friends.’

To stop herself from crying again, she looks away and changes the conversation topic.

oOoOo

One day, Ventus suggests that they go on an outing to another world. She looks at him as if he is crazy, when he makes his proposition. He wants to take time off now, when Terra is still in danger? It is ridiculous. She would say so, but Ventus speaks first.

‘It’ll be good for us,’ he says. ‘We can’t help Terra if we’re not at our best.’

Grudgingly she agrees, and the two of them fly off to Neverland.

It is strange to be back there. The last time she was in Neverland, she led an ‘expatition’ with the Lost Boys and Peter Pan up through Rainbow Falls. She found Ventus’ wooden keyblade abandoned and fought Vanitas in the Indian Camp.

She looks around at the scenery, awe filling her heart. She has not seen such beauty in a very long time—not since she fell into the Realm of Darkness thirteen years ago. Too long a time, she thinks.

She sniffs, and feels a tear roll down her cheek. That is surprising—she had thought that she had run out of tears to cry. But these are tears of joy, not only grief. Ventus take her hand—not possessively or with intimacy, but in a clear show of support and friendship. She turns to see him grinning at her.

‘It’s nice, isn’t it?’ he says. ‘I had the same reaction when I saw it again for the first time.’

She nods, rendered speechless by everything she is seeing. Something baffles her, though. How can he be so nice to her when she has been so horrible to him? She supposes it shows how good he is compared to her. She can’t help it—guilt and remorse give her heart a twinge. She looks away from him, suddenly uncomfortable.

‘Ven, I’m sorry. I have not treated you well.’

Ventus looks away. ‘It’s okay. You’ve been through a lot.’

It touches her to see how selfless he is being—unlike her. She cannot remember a time now (after her corruption) when she had not thought of herself first. Now, for the first time, she considers him. He has been through as much as she has, she realises with a twinge of guilt. He has been held captive by Master Xehanort, has probably endured isolation, fear, worry and pain, and yet he thinks of her first instead of him. It opens her eyes to see it.

‘No,’ she says adamantly. ‘It is not. I haven’t been fair to you at all. I will make it up to you somehow. I promise.’

She does not know how yet, but she will think of something. She has too. She has been self-absorbed for far too long—it is time she focused on someone else for a change, and not just for her own self-interest.

Ventus sees the new light and conviction in her eyes and grins again. She can see his eyes brim with hope as he hugs her tightly. ‘I’ll hold you to that,’ he tells her. ‘Don’t worry.’

oOoOo

That night, she dreams of Terra for the first time in months. Not the brown-haired, blue-eyed man she’d visited before, but a cross between him and the silver-haired, gold-eyed man present in her memories of Xehanort’s Organization. 

‘Terra?’

The name feels strange in her mouth. She reaches out a hand to him, but he just looks at her with those cruel gold eyes and turns away. She can almost sense what he is saying. Go away. I do not want you here. But she keeps reaching for him, calling out his name until her mind’s voice is hoarse with it. No matter how much he objects, she will always be there for him, no matter what. 

She wakes up with a hammering heart and a sweaty forehead, and fear, protectiveness and rage in her heart. Unlike the previous dreams, she remembers this one clearly. She mulls over it in her mind. What is Xehanort doing to Terra? She dreads to think of it.

‘I dreamed of him too,’ Ventus admits over breakfast that morning, when she recounts her dream to him. ‘I was floating in darkness and I could sense him somewhere below me. I tried to reach him but I couldn’t.’

Though Aqua is reluctant, they decide to go to Yen Sid to ask for his advice on the matter. She supposes that since Terra’s life is at stake, they can take the risk just this once. Though, she vows that if the old master betrays them, she will take Ventus and run, no matter what the younger keyblade wielder thinks.

‘Hmm.’ The retired old master fixes them with an intense glare as they tell him about their dreams. ‘This is most interesting.’

‘What does it mean, Master?’ Ventus asks.

‘It means that there is still a chance for him,’ Yen Sid says. ‘I had thought that he would be too darkened by Master Xehanort to be recovered, but if either of you can reach him then perhaps it is not too late.’

Her heart leaps at his words. She bites on her lip to stop herself from gasping in hope. 

‘That is all that I can tell you. The rest you must solve yourselves. Now go.’

‘Wait,’ she snaps as he turns away. ‘Why are you helping us?’

He eyes her grimly. ‘Because I care, Master Aqua. You, Ventus and Terra are like niece and nephews to me. Master Eraqus was also my old friend. I want nothing more than for you three to be happy and safe.’

‘So you say,’ she snaps, glaring daggers at him. Where was he when she and Ventus were in danger, then?

Before she can say anything more, Ventus elbows her and tells the retired master, ‘Thank you, Master Yen Sid. We’ll do as you say.’

As he says? Over her dead body. But Ventus drags them both out of the tower room before she can so much as open her mouth to speak again.

Although she still does not trust Yen Sid, his words have invigorated her, given her more hope than she ever dreamed of. If she becomes more skilled in controlling her darkness, and Ventus finishes his keyblade master training, then perhaps they will be ready to save Terra.


	11. Endless Determination

After that, Aqua is determined to do what she can to conquer the darkness inside of herself and rescue Terra. Every day she works with Riku to learn more about the darkness she carries, and to better control her emotions. Riku tells her that just because she is a creature of darkness doesn’t mean that she has to surrender to it utterly. She can learn to wield it without letting it consume her. She knows she must if she wishes to save Terra.

At first, she does not trust Riku, but gradually she warms up to him. It helps that he has been through a similar experience to herself. He knows what it is like to fall into darkness. Of course, he has never been broken like she has, but she has to admit that it is comforting to have someone to talk to who has experience with the darkness and does not reject it outright.

Sometimes Ventus joins them, when he is not training with Kairi and Lea in Radiant Garden. Otherwise she and Riku are alone together. She does not mind, not once she has grown used to Ventus’ absence. She finds that she likes Riku as a companion—he does not chatter incessantly and make annoying remarks like Xigbar, and he does not try to make her feel better like Ventus does. He just waits out her angry moods until she calms down.

‘I—I’m sorry we couldn’t rescue you in time,’ he says abruptly one day. ‘Me and Sora would’ve, if we’d known. But Yen Sid wouldn’t let Mickey tell us. He didn’t want us to go on a reckless quest when we didn’t have the means to free you.’

‘Oh.’ There is little she can say to that. As much as she hates it, it makes a lot of sense. 

‘And when we finally found out, it was too late. So, I’m sorry. Just—don’t be so angry at Mickey about it,’ he begs her. ‘It wasn’t his fault. His hands were tied.’

Well… Part of her knows that he is right, and that she is placing too much blame on Mickey for what happened to her. But a larger part of her is still irrationally hurt and angry that they had come to her aid too late to help her fight off Xemnas. If they had been there, she would not have been tortured and placed under Xehanort’s control for so long. She would have been safe. (She longed for that, she realises, for so long. Even when she did not realise it.) 

She lets him see the pain and anger in her eyes as she replies, ‘I know. But he was still too late.’

He looks away silently and nods. He understands. There is too much pain, too much grief to forgive what happened.

‘When I was a stupid kid, I wanted to escape my island so much that I let the darkness consume me. I attacked one of my best friends and almost got the other one who I was trying to save killed. In the end Ansem Seeker of Darkness possessed me and I was only saved from that because of Sora.’ 

She bites her lip and looks away. She had not expected such raw honesty from him. ‘I did more than you did,’ she argues. ‘I destroyed an entire village! I did countless horrific things while I was in the Organization. And I would’ve caused Ven even more pain if Master Xehanort had succeeded in turning him into another vessel.’ 

‘Ven’s forgiven you for everything,’ Riku reminds her. ‘Even those things. You know that.’

She huffs. ‘I cannot understand why. It was only sheer luck that Master Xehanort failed in turning him into another vessel. I would’ve been responsible for that, for his pain, if it had worked in the end.’

‘But it didn’t work. It’s over now, Aqua. Don’t look back on the things you can’t change.’

She gapes at him. How did the young boy she met once become so wise? Through many hardships and trials, she suspects. She does not query him about it, not wanting to accidentally delve into any too-painful memories that he has.

Riku proves to be a good listener, and soon she finds herself confessing more to him—things she has not had the courage to tell Ventus about. Riku doesn’t interrupt her, and instead nods and listens as she tells him more about the things she has done—the chaos she caused and the people whose lives she destroyed. She also admits the guilt and confusion she feels now about it all. 

She thought that he would reject her once he knew, but to her surprise, he does not. She must admit to herself that she had been wrong about him, and about the other light-wielders. They are not the enemy; perhaps they can be trusted after all. 

‘How can I tell Ven any of this?’ she says to him. ‘He will not understand.’

‘How will you know if you don’t try? You never know, he might surprise you.’ He touches her shoulder. ‘He cares about you,’ he assures her. ‘If you tell him, he won’t reject you outright. He’ll understand and hear you out.’

oOoOo

‘Did you ever wonder how you managed to escape from him?’ Riku asks her days later after a training session. ‘It shouldn’t be possible, you know.’

She shook her head. ‘We did not escape from him,’ she tells him flatly. It still hurts her to recall that day. ‘Not really.’

‘But you still know yourself, even though you have part of his heart in you. He has no control over you.’ He gestures to her gold eyes and silver-blue hair. ‘Didn’t you ever wonder why?’

She shrugs. ‘It did not matter. He had already taken everything else in my heart.’

‘It does now if you want to rescue Terra.’ He nods when she looks at him in surprise. ‘What if whatever happened with you is the key to saving him? To helping him regain control over his heart?’

It gives her more hope. If it will truly help Terra… She decides that she will think about it. Aside from trying to gain more power over the darkness than Xehanort, she does not know how she managed to escape from his control. She supposes that a large factor in it was the luck they—she—had during those few days. Xehanort had not cared enough (to her surprise) to try to recapture them until they had returned to the castle in search of Ventus.

Eventually, after days of thought, she understands. It is not simply her darkness that made it harder for him to control her. From the very beginning, she had fought for her own dominance and freedom, every step of the way. And because of that and her relationship with Terra-Xehanort, she realises, her identity had re-pieced itself and pushed Xehanort away. A hybrid identity—not her original one—but all the same it is her identity and not Xehanort’s.

Terra, on the other hand, had become tired and resigned, after being possessed for over twelve years. Recompleting as part-Xehanort must not have helped matters in the least. And it was not just that. She knows that he was so reluctant to accept that he was Terra and not Xehanort. Sometimes she could see an empty, dead look in his eyes, as if he had lost his identity and Xehanort’s had taken over.

Perhaps if she had been able to break free from Xehanort because of her identity, then Terra can too. It is worth a try, since they have nothing else to try as of now, and she plans to suggest it to Ventus soon.

When the times comes, however, before she can tell Ventus, he speaks to her first. ‘I had another dream about Terra,’ he says excitedly. ‘I almost reached him this time!’

Her spirit rises to hear that. She did not dream of Terra this last night, but she has been dreaming sporadically about him for the past few weeks, and she knows Ventus has been dreaming about him as well. If Ventus almost got through to Terra in his latest dream, then they are much closer to winning him back. 

She closes her eyes and lets out a heavy breath. ‘Ventus,’ she begins carefully. ‘I have an idea. But I must tell you something first.’

He looks at her expectantly, and, with great trepidation, she finally confesses everything to him. Every offense; every piece of guilt that has pierced her heart.

Ventus silently listens as she speaks. She dreads to know what he is thinking. Is he judging her as harshly as she feels he is? 

‘Ven, I’m sorry,’ she tells him, when she has finished. ‘If you want me to go—’

He shoots her an astonished look. ‘Aqua, I already told you. I don’t want you to leave. You’re one of my best friends.’

She gapes at him. ‘But—I’ve destroyed people’s lives! You can’t ignore that!’

He sighs. ‘Don’t get me wrong. I’m not happy about you destroying a village, or everything else you say you were planning on doing when you ran away. But I can’t hate you for it. Not when I know you feel guilty about it and you’re changing. And not when you still have a chance to redeem yourself.’

She feels her eyes sting with tears at his words and the steadfast look in his eyes. ‘Ven…’

He smiles tearily at her and changes the subject. ‘What’s your idea?’

She tells him. Ventus listens intently to her words, and she sees his eyes fill with emotion that she has not seen in a long time.

‘You think it’ll work?’ he asks hopefully.

‘It must work,’ she says adamantly. ‘I did it, so maybe Terra can too.’ 

He nods at her, his eyes blazing with a determination that mirrors her own. Yes, she thinks with elation. They can do it. They will save Terra and help him regain himself, and then they can finally be together again.


	12. Endless Darkness

On the day of the Keyblade War, Aqua stands with the light keyblade wielders and faces down Master Xehanort and his Seekers across a sea of desert and stone. The old man is grinning smugly, his gold eyes alight in triumph as he looks back at them. There is no remorse for the pain he has caused them all with his convoluted plan.

Her blood boils just looking at him. This man is the cause of her agony, and that of Terra and Ventus. She longs to destroy him just as he destroyed her. She longs to rip him apart piece by piece and make him feel the agony she has felt over the past ten years because of him. Unfortunately, she is not the one meant to strike him down—Sora is—so she will just have to settle for watching him die. Besides, reaching Terra is a more important priority at this point.

She thinks she can see him, somewhere among the line of Seekers. They all have their hoods up so she cannot say for sure, but she is familiar enough with his shape and posture to take a good guess at which one he is.

When it begins, the sky darkens until it looks like night has fallen. Heartless and other monsters manifest themselves and launch themselves at the keyblade wielders, who begin to fight them.

Aqua ignores them all and makes a beeline toward Terra. Seeing her, he turns and runs, away from the main fight. She follows him. She knows that it is probably a trap, but she does not care at this point. All of her being is roaring, raging, focused on her need to get to him. And besides, she is not alone; she can feel Ventus a few steps behind her, begging her to slow down and think for a moment.

‘Terra!’ she snarls. ‘Stop running from me!’

It does not matter—he keeps running all the same. Muttering under her breath, she conjures up a dark lasso and throws it at him. It catches him around the waist and sends him off his feet. A strong feeling of satisfaction rises within her at his howl of anger. Good. The darkness runs up his body, paralyses him. Not for long, for he too is a darkness-wielder, but long enough. She lunges at him just as he breaks free.

Her tackle sends him sprawling. Enraged, he snarls at her words that make Ventus’s eyes widen; she simply smiles dangerously and grabs at his neck, squeezing until he is gasping for air. She ignores Ventus’ cries of shock and snarls at him, ‘Give us back Terra, or I swear I will crush you.’

His mouth moves to form a resounding ‘no’. She sees red, and her grip on him tightens.

Ventus’ voice cuts through her rage and brings her back to herself. ‘Aqua, wait! Don’t kill him! It’s Terra’s body!’

Of course… She shakes her head at herself. How could she have forgotten? Their main focus is rescuing Terra. They cannot free Terra if she has destroyed his body.

She does not realise that he is rendered unconscious until she loosens her grip and he does not fight back. Curious… She supposes that she must have been choking him for longer than she thought. 

She looks to Ventus, who is gazing at her with new eyes. ‘What now? How can we reach Terra?’

Ventus shrugs helplessly. Neither of them has the Dive to the Heart ability, and Riku and Sora are nowhere to be seen. It seems impossible. Frustrated, she kicks at the sandy ground and turns away.

‘We will have to carry him further away from the battle, at least,’ she decides, and moves to haul him to his feet. 

Suddenly, as she hooks his arm across her neck and shoulder, a set of images assail her mind: Three wayfinders in outstretched hands; her face, gold-eyed and silver-haired; and Ventus’ face. Her eyes widen in surprise.

‘Terra!’ She grabs Ven’s hand and puts it in Terra’s grasp. ‘Look, Ven! He is trying to reach us.’

Ventus’ eyes widen as he sees the images she has seen. Neither of them knows what they mean, but it becomes clearer as they are assailed with more images.

‘He’s… confused,’ Ventus says slowly. 

They look at one another with the same thought in mind. They must help him before Xehanort consumes him. But first, Aqua decides, they must carry him to a place of safety. They cannot be on this world when the X-Blade is forged.

‘No,’ Ventus says when she voices her thought. ‘We can’t abandon them! It wouldn’t be right.’

Right? She almost scoffs at that word. Since when has doing the ‘right’ thing ever helped them in any way? And besides, all three of them could be lost if they remain in the Graveyard any longer. The much wiser course would be to escape now, while they still can.

Still, she reluctantly yields to Ven’s intense glare and settles back down beside Terra-Xehanort’s prone form. ‘All right,’ she says grudgingly. ‘But first we must help Terra.’

‘Yeah.’ Ventus’ eyes blaze with determination. 

The two of them move to sit at Terra’s—Xehanort’s—side. They look at each other and nod, knowing without a doubt what they must do. They close their eyes and concentrate, until they move past the images flashing before their minds and into the muddled thoughts behind them.

Terra… Aqua’s breath hitches as she is flooded by his turbulent feelings. We are here.

Let us help you, Ventus adds.

What… I… Who…?

Listen to us. We will guide you. You are your own person, you are not Xehanort or part of Xehanort. 

Xehanort? No… I am nothing… no one… part of him…

You are you, they tell him in unison. Unique from Xehanort.

But the memories… they are not mine…

They are, they tell him. Your memories are your own. You only have to claim them.

I… I…

He falters. They concentrate harder, giving him what strength they have, until–

ooooo

Blinking and squinting, they find themselves standing on Terra’s heart-station. They see Terra immediately. He lies in the centre of the station, covered in shadows of darkness, groaning faintly as if he is in pain. (The painful echo in Aqua’s heart confirms it.)

‘Terra!’

Aqua falls to her knees beside him. As she does so she sees the chains on his hands and feet. Made of darkness, she thinks. They have a strange luminosity to them.

He does not answer. His eyes are closed; his head lolls slightly as she desperately shakes his shoulders.

‘Terra, can you hear me? Please answer me!’

‘What a sight,’ a familiar voice says mockingly from behind them.

Immediately she knows who it is. How can she not? It has haunted her dreams for months on end now. Slowly she rises and turns to face him.

‘Foolish Master,’ Xehanort says. ‘Still as misguided as ever. You cannot win. He belongs to me—as do you.’

She doesn’t lower her keyblade. ‘I do not belong to you,’ she says flatly. ‘And neither does Terra.’

‘Yeah,’ Ventus says, glaring at him. ‘Terra belongs with us and we’re going to prove it!’

He laughs. ‘Then do,’ he sneers.

They attack him, but again and again he covers himself with a dark shield before they can make contact with him. Each time she hears Terra cry out in pain.

‘You see?’ he says smugly. ‘You cannot defeat me without first putting him down.’

No… Shaking with rage, she swipes at him again, with the same result as before.

‘There is no other way,’ Xehanort says. ‘Put him out of his misery or leave him with me. From the look of him,’ he adds casually, ‘I am sure he would prefer the first option.’

She glares at him, hating that he dared to read her mind. ‘There is always a way! I won’t let you take him from us again!’

Frantically she searches her mind for something, anything, that could help. But all she can think of is Terra. Terra… That’s it!

Terra! We need you!

Xehanort glares at her, astounded. ‘You fool. Terra cannot hear you now!’

‘He can!’ she retorts back. ‘I know it!’ Terra! We can fight him together—the three of us!

She crouches before Terra, not caring about what Xehanort is doing. Ventus follows suit. Our hearts are connected. The three of us can do it! Now break free and help us!

For a long moment she holds her metaphorical breath as she waits. Please… she begs. Just come back to us. I believe in you. Ven believes in you. Just… come… back!

She caresses his cheek, willing him to wake up. Somewhere around her, she feels Ven do the same thing. Together they concentrate. And then they feel it: a glimmer of light, terribly faint, but there.

Terra! The word is shouted in unison.

…

Aqua… Ven… The words are filled with weariness and pain.

We’re here. Let us help you.

Shock, disbelief, and finally hope blossom.

How?… He’s strong…

The three of us are stronger. Now fight back!

I… I…

They feel him steel himself, and immediately bolster his light, showering him with memories. The day they met… the days they trained Ven on the summit… the days and nights they spent together, watching the stars. The night Aqua gave them their wayfinders, and the promise they made to one another.

By the time they are done, she can feel the tears staining his cheek. The chains disappear in a burst of light.

No! Xehanort’s voice echoed around the platform, furious and frustrated.

Aqua kisses Terra on the crown of his head and stands up to face the old Keyblade Master. ‘Leave, now,’ she says coldly. ‘Or pay the price.’

Xehanort’s eyes flash. ‘Then face the powers of hell!’

Before any of them can react, the station shakes violently. Darkness erupts from Xehanort’s figure, and spreads throughout the area, tainting it. With a thrill of horror, Aqua realises that the old keyblade master is about to destroy this heart-station and take them all down with it.

Aqua, Ven, you must go! Terra’s voice sounds in her mind, strained and panicking. This is not worth it!

‘No!’ 

She’s waited too long and lost too much to give up now. He and Ven are the only family she has left, and she will not lose either of them again if she can help it.

Of course, Ven refuses to leave them behind. She keeps a tight hold of both of their hands as the darkness rises higher and higher, spreads until the platform is consumed by it. With a thrill she feels the floor beneath them disappear, leaving them stranded in air.

They fall.

oOoOo

Sometime later, Aqua finds herself drifting back into consciousness on the sandy ground of the Keyblade Graveyard. Opening her eyes, she spies Terra’s still-comatose form. Her heart freezes as she senses the emptiness within him. No… Terra? 

‘Aqua?’

She turns at the sound of a ragged familiar voice, and sees his Ventus’ face on the other side of her. His blue eyes are exhausted; his face is filled with love and concern as he looks at her. 

Ven…

‘You stayed with us,’ she croaks out. 

‘It’s what friends do,’ he responds simply. ‘I would never leave you and Terra when I thought you were in danger.’

‘Thank you,’ she says simply. There is nothing else to say. 

Her eyes stinging with tears, she grabs hold of his hand, and reaches to take Terra’s. Both of them, here with her… it’s a dream come true. Is it truly over at last? She prays that it is.


End file.
